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Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran’s girls golf teams, which finished second and third, respectively, in the state last season, will encounter early-season challenges this week.
Santa Margarita plays Diamond Bar in a dual match series on Wednesday and Thursday. The teams will tee off Wednesday at Diamond Bar Golf Course and Thursday at Coto de Caza Golf & Racquet Club.
The girls golf season in the CIF Southern Section began on Monday.
Santa Margarita returns first-team All-County players Emily Song, Angelina Tao and Donina Zhou, along with second-team All-County selection Annika Raja.
The Eagles also has welcomed back Veronica Man, who didn’t play last season. They have added transfer Xiaowen Zhang, a junior, among others.
Santa Margarita will be without reigning CIF-SS individual champion Sam Daniels, a sophomore who has shifted to online school, Eagles coach Jill Hegna said.
Orange Lutheran travels to Las Vegas for a tri-match against Nevada’s Faith Lutheran and Bishop Gorman on Friday at Canyon Gate Country Club.
The Lancers are led by reigning Orange County player of the year Jude Lee. The Stanford committed senior highlighted her offseason by playing in the U.S. Women’s Open at Erin Hills in Wisconsin. She carded scores of 72 and 75 for a 3-over-par 147 and missed the cut.
Orange Lutheran returns its top-five players from last season, including first-team All-County selection Ally Kim. The Lancers also feature second-team All-County picks Gabrielle Kim, Myla Robinson and Charlene Woo.
Santa Margarita and Orange Lutheran could clash for the first time Sept. 8 at the South Bay Invitational.
The CIF-SS division championships are scheduled for Nov. 3. The section’s individual championship/SCGA qualifier is three days later at Temecula Creek Golf Club on Nov. 6.
The SoCal regional final is Nov. 13 at Los Serranos Golf Club with the CIF State championship set for Poppy Hills Golf Course in Pebble Beach.