Lightning’s Chen set to scorch the course

“We’re still smiling,” said first-year Sage Hill School girls golf

coach Mike Hogan when asked about how his team is coming along

heading into the season.

One reason is a fun group of girls happy to be together playing

golf. Another reason is sophomore Justine Chen, who is an extremely

accomplished golfer even though she just started her sophomore year.

“She’s the real deal. She’s our dead-ringer,” said Hogan. “But

everybody plays well. I think we’re solid all the way through. They

really bond together and play well as a team. Hopefully we’ll see a

lot of cheerleading. It’s a tight little group.”

Hogan, whose team plays its home matches at Strawberry Farms Golf

Course in Irvine, has a lot of players like Sarah Anderson, who has

minimal experience but is picking the game up very fast.

“They’re so young, they play so much in their subconscious,” said

Hogan, no relation to legendary golfer Ben Hogan. “They’re like,

‘Should I just hit it straight down the fairway?’ I’m like, ‘Yeah,

that would be good.’”

Hogan says Chen’s father is a short-game guru of sorts and passes

down his knowledge to Justine and her brother, Joshua, who is a

junior golfing stud on the Sage Hill boys team.

“Both kids are just incredible golfers,” said Hogan.

Chen leads an eight-member team that includes lone senior Anna

Dialynas, juniors Emma Koh and Natalie Craft, sophomores Madison

Gilleis and Kimberly Venditozzi, and freshmen Anderson and Kelsey

Venditozzi.

With Chen as the No. 1 golfer, Sage Hill should do well in the

newly formed Academy League. But Hogan, who played minor league

baseball for several professional organizations, including Toronto

and Oakland, is more interested in teaching his team as a whole about

golf.

“I just want them to learn the rules and learn how to respect the

game of golf,” he said. “You know, fix divots, leave the green better

than it was when you got there. I want to teach them the etiquette of

the game and the history of the game. Hopefully the kids will fall in

love with it, because golf is a game you can play the rest of your

life.”

Sage plays Ocean View at Meadowlark Golf Course Thursday at 2:30

p.m.

LIGHTNING ROSTER

Justine Chen So.

Anna Dialynas Sr.

Madison Gilleis So.

Emma Koh Jr.

Kimberly Venditozzi So.

Kelsey Venditozzi Fr.

Sarah Anderson Fr.

Natalie Craft Jr.

Coach: Mike Hogan (1st year)

SEA KINGS ROSTER

Kelly Moorehead

Courtney Wright

Jessica Milner

Kelly Kwata

Katherine Hanson

Terese Heinfeld

Katie McKitterick

Jonna Kim

Michele Drucker

Coach: Mike Starkweather (9th year)