Golfer Alison Lee ambitious after acclaimed freshman season

Looking back on childhood visits to Disneyland typically brings memories of the sheer awe and excitement felt when standing under the fireworks, surrounded by familiar characters and thrilling rides.

For freshman Alison Lee, her first experience with the “Happiest Place on Earth” also provided the initial motivation she needed to begin her golfing career.

“The first time my dad took me to the golf course it was really hot and I just wanted to leave. I hated it,” Lee said. “So he tried to bribe me by saying things like, ‘Alison, if you come to the golf course with me 10 times I will take you to Disneyland.’”

Fortunately for the newly crowned Pac-12 Golfer and Freshman of the Year, her father, Johnny Lee, was not kidding. Having seen her play as a toddler, he was convinced she would grow to love the sport.

“When she was four I bought her plastic clubs and I had never seen her happier with a toy,” he said. “From then on I had always hoped she would be a professional golfer, and luckily for me she didn’t realize that every child goes to Disneyland anyway.”

And it didn’t stop there.

“I ended up with season passes to most of the amusement parks in the Los Angeles area,” Alison Lee recalled. “Luckily for my dad, eventually I didn’t need to find any extra motivation to play every weekend, and I didn’t have to be bribed again.”

The turning point came when she entered her first competition at the age of seven, and since then, she has never looked back.

“Being in a tournament excited me and when I ended up winning I found my inspiration to keep playing,” Alison Lee said. “I loved the competitiveness and to get a trophy at that age was the best feeling.”

That sparked the beginning of a junior career littered with accomplishments, including being named as first team All-American by the American Junior Golf Association six years in a row between 2008 and 2013, as well as representing the United States three times in the Junior Solheim Cup and twice in the Junior Ryder Cup.

Despite the many honors she has received it has not always been smooth sailing, and her steadfast belief that she can always improve has carried her through difficult periods.

“There have been a few times that she has gone through slumps and had to really push through the devastation to find her form again,” said Sung Kim-Lee, Alison Lee’s mother. “As her parents, we have been there to help pick her back up and refocus on her game. She has sacrificed a lot to get to where she is today and it has made her stronger.”

Though she faced many difficult decisions when it came to balancing her golf career with other commitments, choosing to join the program at UCLA by her own admittance was not one of them.

“From my first visit I just loved it and I didn’t even want to see anywhere else,” Alison Lee said. “After speaking to coach Carrie (Forsyth) I liked where the team was headed and I committed to UCLA as a sophomore in high school. That’s how certain I was.”

Having also had the opportunity to play at USC and Stanford, today Lee is still convinced that she made the right decision by becoming a Bruin.

“I love being a part of the team here, the coaches and just everyone rooting for each other make it so unique,” Lee said. “Having that kind of support has made the transition into college life so much easier.”

Under the guidance of Bruin coaches, Lee has excelled in her first year of college, a statement given all the more weight by being named the Women’s Golf Coaches Association Freshman of the Year as well as winning the GolfStat Cup for having the lowest scoring average of the season.

“She has had a phenomenal year,” said assistant coach Alicia Um-Holmes. “She is a lot of fun to watch and I would say she is the best player I have worked with in my eight years here.”

Lee’s biggest tournament victory came in the Pac-12 championship, but her success didn’t just end as the season did. On June 17th, Lee was announced as the winner of the inaugural ANNIKA Award – an award given to the best NCAA Division I golfer as voted on by coaches and members of the media.

However the fact that she was not completely satisfied with her success highlights her determination to improve.

“She compares herself to the professionals and said that if the competition had been part of the LPGA tour she wouldn’t have had a good enough total to win,” Um-Holmes said. “Ultimately I don’t think she wants to just play on the LPGA tour but she wants to go out there and become one of the very best.”

With the ultimate ambition of becoming a successful professional golfer, Lee sets high standards for herself and is determined to build on this season and lead UCLA women’s golf to future successes.

“Becoming WGCA Player of the Year was a target of mine this year but not winning it only makes me more motivated,” Lee said. “I am still learning and I still have time to play these tournaments so I’m just looking forward to improving my game and maturing here at UCLA.”

It would appear that to be the best, a golfer doesn’t just need a commitment unsurpassable by peers, but also an overwhelming desire to go to Disneyland.