Greer advances to SoCal assn. finals

She’s been sick with bronchitis, but Marina High senior Ashley Greer still wanted to play.

Greer competed Monday at the Women’s Southern California Golf Assn. Championship, at the SCGA Golf Course in Murrieta. And although she shot an 87 and failed to advance to the CIF State Girls’ Golf Championship, she should be very proud.

It was the furthest Greer has advanced individually in her four-year career. And it was the furthest a Vikings girls’ golfer has advanced since Jennifer Osborn in 2002. Osborn went on to Arizona State and helped the Sun Devils win the NCAA Championship last year.

Greer was sick in bed from the CIF Southern Section Individual Championships Nov. 12, where she shot a five-over par 77, until Monday.

“Last night, on the way home from the course, I had to stop at the doctor again,” Greer said. “As much as I love golf, that’s what really pushed me to go out there and just try.”

Greer medaled in almost every match this year for Marina, which finished second in the Sunset League with standouts like Greer, senior Chelsea Kasprowicz and junior Halle Young. Greer also finished second individually in the league, behind Esther Lee of Los Alamitos.

“Both Chelsea and Ashley have been kind of the rocks of the team,” Marina Coach Jim Morris said. “

Last June, Greer won the inaugural Orange County High School Championships

“That was my first major win in a tournament,” she said. “It was awesome.”

Greer plays tournament golf nearly every weekend through the Junior Amateur Golf Scholars Tour. Last month, she tied for third at the Inland Empire Junior Championship, the first major of the JAGS Tour season.

She’s ranked No. 48 in the state of California in the Junior Golf Scoreboard rankings, and Greer said she plans to continue playing golf in college, on scholarship.

“CIF was just one step for me, to the next level,” she said.