One wonders whether, when Taerin Lee and Jackie Wang arrived at Bethpage State Park to play in the Nassau County Girls Golf Finals, they didn’t prepare for yellow and green but instead peeked at black.

Bethpage’s Black Course will host the LPGA Championship in 2028.

“When I’m playing, I don’t really think about what I shoot,” Lee confessed. “What I do in my tournaments right now, I’ll think of as a practice round to prepare for my LPGA career. I just think of it as a preparation for the LPGA.“It’s always funny when we talk to each other,” said Wang. “There’s just so much confidence. We’re just clashing.”

It’s the present that gives their future aspirations a tinge of realism. Though they are freshmen in middle school, the seventh graders capped off their rookie varsity season by qualifying for the New York State Girls Golf Tournament at the Section 8 finals.

Vying to become the youngest ever county champion, Lee was sitting in the proverbial catbird seat after shooting a tournament-low 69 on Bethpage’s Yellow Course on the tournament’s first day to lead the entire field.

“I was honestly surprised,” said Lee of her opening round 3-under par. “I didn’t think I would hit that well. I was just trying to have fun. I wasn’t really focused on my score. I was really surprised how it turned out to be a 69.’

On day two, the green course was less hospitable. Tenth Grader Lara Cohen, who was two strokes off the lead going into the final round, followed her 71 on the yellow course with a 73, enough to finish one stroke ahead of Lee and Madison Chen (tied-2) to win the Nassau County individual title in her fourth trip to the finals.

As a seventh grader, Cohen finished in seventh place. Chen, last year’s champion, also finished second in the seventh grade, but shot 81s each day on the same courses.

“Taerin went out and shot a 69 on the first day, and that doesn’t usually happen,” said Jericho golf coach Steve Bromberg, who guided Jericho to a State Championship in 2017. “I think the moment was a little bit big. I think that she wasn’t used to playing with the lead, and when she was, the pressure got to her a little bit, and that just comes from youth and experience. Um, and I guarantee you that she’s going to use that as she continues to grow.”

“I got a little more nervous,” admitted Lee, “I didn’t have the mindset that I did on the first day. I think I got a little distracted.”

Source: LI Press