The Tigers' Leader on the Golf Course

On a South Pasadena girls golf team that dominated its competition this year, Melody Sue stands out from the crowd.

Sue earned Player of the Year in the Montview League this season, and on Monday she made the cut at the CIF Regional Tournament at Los Posas in Camarillo with a round of 85. Sue was the only Tiger to advance to next week's CIF Individual Championships at La Purisima golf course in Lompoc.

But the junior doesn't see this run of success as an opportunity to celebrate. For her it's a call to get down to work.

"I'm just relieved that I am going on," Sue said on Monday. "My putting was off today, I think I need to practice more."

The girls' golf team doesn't hold regular practices like many other sports. Instead team players have to make arrangements to play amongst themselves in order to improve.

Tigers coach Richard Goto credits Sue as the chief architect of the team.

"She is the one who calls, e-mails or texts the others so they can go play together," Goto said.

The team's overall success this year is impressive considering that the girl's golf program at South Pasadena is only three years old.

"We had kids try out that had never played before," said Goto. "Some thought this would just be a fun PE class."

But a select group of girls did arise, and Sue emerged as its leader.

"Melody is one of those renaissance women," Goto said, "just a beautiful person."

Sue's home course is the Glendora Country Club where her father, Larry Sue, is a member.

"On Saturday and Sunday, I get up early and play golf," Sue's father said. "Then I come back and pick up Melody and we play all over again."

Like many of her teammates, Sue also employs a private swing coach. But for all her focus, Larry is pleased with his daughter's sense of priority.

"I am very happy she does not sacrifice academics for golf," he said.

Her achievements in golf, in fact, mirror that of her academic career. Sue currently carries a 3.77 grade point average — "terrible" in Sue's eyes.

And now Sue moves onto face stiffer competition, and quite possibly a more challenging course, next week during the Individual Championships. The task might be more daunting, but Goto feels there is nothing to hold Sue back.

"She is a wonderful golfer," Goto said, "and consummate student with a loving family that supports her."