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With a scholarship to USC, the future looks bright for nationally ranked Lizette Salas. Lizette Salas: • Hometown: Azusa. • Age: 17. • Lowest round: 62, SCPGA Legends Course, August 25, 2005. • First instructor: Jerry Herrea, Azusa Greens. • Current instructor: Bob Lasken, Arroyo Trabuco. • Began playing golf: Age 7. • In the bag: Callaway driver, woods, irons and wedges. • Favorite meal: Her mother’s chile relleno. • Siblings: Marvin, 23; Suzy, 26. • Favorite band: The Cure. • Favorite sports teams: L.A. Lakers, New York Yankees. • Role models: Her parents. It’s easy to see why USC women’s golf coach Andrea Gaston wants Lizette Salas on her team. With limited participation in national events, Salas racked up eight top-10 finishes, posted a 74.33 scoring average and finished second in the Team Rolex Junior All-America rankings. Her performance on the local level was equally stellar, having been named the 2006 Toyota Cup Player of the Year by the SCPGA Junior Tour. “Lizette has a mature demeanor and is committed to bettering herself on and off the course,” Gaston said. “She is a good fit for our program based on those two traits.” Salas, who lives with her family in Azusa, saw her dream of attending college on a golf scholarship come true when she signed a letter of intent at USC. She begins classes this fall. Her parents were relieved and couldn’t be happier for their daughter, who took up golf as a hobby 10 years ago. “It was always Lizette’s dream to play on a golf scholarship for a university, once she started to play competitive golf,” said her mother, Martha. “She has always kept a positive attitude and has played her own game.” Lizette’s father, Ramon, was head mechanic in the maintenance yard at Azusa Greens Golf Club when Lizette started to hit range balls at the course when she was 7. Since then he hasn’t missed a practice or tournament his daughter has participated in. “She has her own style on the golf course,” he said. “Everyone is focused on her. It really is a unique experience for all us.” One week after Salas signed her letter of intent, she shot an even-par 73 to win the California Girls State CIF Championship at Red Hill Country Club in Rancho Cucamonga. For Gaston, the victory was icing on the cake, but she was more impressed by Salas’ ability to post low rounds. In the Southern CIF regional qualifier, Salas shot an 8-under 64 at Diamond Bar Golf Course to earn medalist honors and a spot in the state championship. Soon after she won the state title, Salas was named the Best Female High School Athlete of the Year by the regional ESPN (710 AM) radio station. “Winning the award was a shock to me because I was up against standout volleyball player Alix Klineman and track star Ebony Collins,” Salas said. “I’ve never been so nervous in my life. It is the second-best award that I have gotten [next to being state champion].” Salas is still enjoying her newfound fame among her peers at Azusa High School, where she plays on the boys’ golf team. “I am flattered to hear students who I don’t even know come up to me and tell me that they voted for me,” she said. Aside from supporting her golf game, Lizette’s parents stress her need to balance an active social life while being a student athlete. “We want her to be organized and able to manage her time,” Martha said. “She knows if there is homework to be done, she can’t go practice or go out with her friends. She works and studies hard in order to enjoy a good time with her friends.” In an age where some exceptional athletes turn professional before graduating college, Salas has no intention of following that path before she graduates from USC. “I want to be able to fall back on my education,” she said. “I want to be able to take care of my parents and myself in the long run, whether it be through playing on the tour or through golf management.” SG |
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