Senior Andrea Lee excels at golf, ranked number two in the country

Catelyn Di Leva
Staff Writer

Ever since Mira Costa senior Andrea Lee was little, she was already out on the golf course preparing for her future. Winning championships and receiving titles nationally, Lee has created a name for herself in the golf world.

Lee is an award winning golfer who recently visited Germany for a competition. Over the summer, Lee and other selected girls under the age of 18 from the U.S. competed in the PING Junior Solheim Cup against female golfers from all around Europe.

“The competition is between 12 girls who are 18 or younger from the U.S. versus 12 girls from all over Europe,” Lee said. “We won 13-11, and I personally won one out of the three matches I played.”

Lee has been playing golf since the age of five and will be playing collegiate golf for Stanford University in the fall of 2016. After college, Lee hopes to continue her career and become a professional golfer.

“I played for Costa’s golf team freshman and sophomore year,” Lee said. “Freshman year I had to withdraw from the CIF (California Interscholastic Federation) State Championship because of a shoulder injury, but sophomore year I had the chance to go out and win it individually.”

This was Lee’s second time competing in the championship as well as her second time winning her matches. Lee was ranked number one both times competing in this event.

“I was chosen by the American Junior Golf Association to represent the U.S. in the tournament by my national ranking, which was number one,” said Lee.

Andrea was chosen both times to play in the event by the American Junior Golf Association, which is located in Georgia, and it decides the top girls in the nation to go to the competition in Germany.

“Andrea has a great work ethic. She practices, works out, and studies,” Costa senior golfer Danielle Richman said. “These are all traits that are required if someone wants to be an athlete at her caliber.”

Andrea completed the 2014 season ranked number one in the Polo Golf Rankings and is currently ranked No. 2 in the Women’s World Amateur Golf Ranking. Lee has also won the Yani Invitational, AJGA Rolex Tournament of Champions, and has placed highly in other events like the Women’s U.S. Open.

“The great thing about Andrea is that she is such a down to earth person,” said senior teammate Marni Murez. “Even though she has accomplished so much in her life already, she is always striving to do better. She is usually very modest about her achievements as well.”