In what was the third playing of the Southern California Junior Amateur Championship, blustery conditions at Morongo GC at Tukwet Canyon tested the young golfers, with red numbers hard to come by in both the girls and boys divisions.
In the girls division, Serena Sepersky of Temecula held off a hard-charging field to win by 3 strokes. Serena took advantage of normal conditions during an opening round 2-under 70 in which she carded four birdies, including three in the final five holes.
Battling serious winds on day two, Serena plotted her way around the course, trying to minimize major errors. The result was a 3-shot victory at 3-over par 147.
“It feels amazing, although it’s still sinking in a little bit,” said Serena. “I think tomorrow I’ll be really happy and realize that I actually did something with my life!”
Jadan Gonzalez of Glendora finished runner-up at 6-over par and Bella Setio of San Marino finished in third place at 7-over par. 2015 Champ Angelina Kim finished in a tie for fourth place at 8-over par.
With her win, Serena earns a spot in the 2018 SCGA Women's Amateur Championship, which will be held in August at Valencia CC.