JANN HENDRY/Acorn Newspapers HAVING A BLAST OFF THE TEE-Newbury Park's Monica Lambert chose playing golf over soccer and cheerleading. In just two years, she went from the back of the Panthers' rotation to becoming one of the team's finest competitors. Two years ago, senior Monica Lambert had to choose between cheerleading, soccer or playing golf for Newbury Park High. Lambert chose golf, and the early results indicate she made the right decision.

"I used to play soccer and while doing that I also played golf," Lambert said. "I seemed to be doing better at golf and made varsity my first year. I wasn't on the higher teams in soccer, so golf seemed more fun to me. I was also able to play golf with my dad, which I still do."

Newbury Park girls' golf coach Nori Parvin is pleased Lambert picked the links over the pitch.

"I'm glad she decided to choose golf over soccer," Parvin said. "I think it's great she likes to play for us, and it's not only good for us now to have her on the team, but good for her in the long run since golf is a sport she can play for the rest of her life."

Monica Lambert Although Lambert played golf with her dad before competing for the Panthers, she was still a little nervous to see what would hap- pen when she tried out for NPHS.

"I was somewhat surprised because I didn't know how I would do," Lambert said. "There were only six girls on the team that first year and I was the No. 6 golfer on the team."

Though Lambert was low on the totem pole for Newbury Park her sophomore year, she quickly improved and she now rotates between being the No. 1 and No. 2 golfer on the team.

Her scores for nine holes often range from the low-to-mid 40s, but Lambert said her goal is to get into the 30s. She came close to that early in the year by shooting a 40.

Parvin said she's been im- pressed with Lambert's progress over the last two years.

"She started out for us as a sophomore, and since she has been here, her work ethic has been unbelievable," Parvin said. "She has really worked hard to improve her game, especially driving the ball by keeping it on the fairway. Her short game has really im- proved, too."

Lambert said that two of the biggest influences on her golf game have been her dad and Parvin.

Parvin "is very positive with me," Lambert said. "There will be some rounds where I come in and I know I didn't have a good round and she just says to forget about it and play the next round and try to improve."

"My dad is really positive with my game as well. Since golf is not a sport he can go out and watch me play the whole round, I usu- ally come home and we talk about what I did and how I can improve. We try to play a lot together, but it's harder during the season since I have so many matches with the team," she said.

Even though Lambert now plays golf full time, she does miss playing soccer a little. In her spare time, Lambert has started to coach soccer. She said it allows her to spread her knowledge of the game to other girls.

Lambert doesn't miss being a cheerleader, but she still likes to help organize events and get people interested. In addition, she works in student government and hopes to become an event planner after college.

In the meantime, Lambert is trying to get more people to come out and watch the Panthers play. Lambert said that many people at school don't even know there is a girls' golf team.

"With golf, so many people think it's really easy to play," Lam- bert said. "Sometimes I will bring my friends out to the driving range and they will try to hit the ball and they can't. Then they give me a lot more credit for what I do."

Although Thousand Oaks and Westlake are expected to make a big impact on the Marmonte League standings this season, Lambert thinks her team has just as good a shot as the others.

"We have better players than in the past and it's showing as we have better scores," Lambert said. "We have a really nice group of girls here . . . We are very friendly with each other and there haven't been any problems on the team since I've been here."

"I know Westlake is always going to be tough to beat and also Thousand Oaks," she said. "But I know we will be good, too."