Between chipping and putting with her father, riding in the cart with her dad and playing rounds of golf with him, Vera Liu must have hit thousands of shots in front of her father.
Asked what her father would do when she shanked a Titleist, she said, “Laugh at it.”
Vera, 16, is a junior at Torrey Pines High School. Her sister, Tara, 14, is a freshman at Canyon Crest Academy.
They’re two of the county’s top junior golfers.And they carry happy memories of their father with them every day.
Fred Liu died in a car accident last February. He was 53. On the nightstands beside their beds, both teenage girls have a picture of their father.
Speaking of her late husband, Fred Liu, Holly Liu said: “The motivation was to get them to go to the course to play golf with him. It had nothing to do with competition. Nothing to do with college or scholarships. We had no idea they would go this far.”
Said golf teaching pro Chris Smeal, who coaches both girls and coached their father: “He loved golf and he loved his kids.”
Vera was 9 years old when the family headed to Temecula for a getaway. Fred played a round at Temecula Creek Golf Club. Vera played a few holes with him.
“It was fun to hit the balls far and make putts,” Vera said.
Holly is a certified public accountant. Fred was a realtor. Holly said that because of her late husband’s job flexibility, he was the girls’ primary caregiver when they were babies. His car was the one that carried car seats. When they were babies, he often plopped them down while working the phone or Internet.
“They were quiet. They were good girls. They’d sleep all the time,” said Holly.
Fred’s swing was smooth and easy. Smeal said Fred’s handicap was about an 8.
“I know he could shoot in the 70s,” said Smeal.
What the girls remember most about their father is his sense of humor.
“Celebrations, like Christmas and holidays, he would make it more fun,” said Vera.
When Vera was 8 and Tara 6, the family drove to Anaheim. They stayed at a hotel near Disneyland, then the next morning, unannounced to the girls, went to “The Happiest Place On Earth.”
Because of monotonous hours on the driving range and putting greens, golf can be a test of patience. Fred Liu made the game more fun by creating chipping and putting competitions. Vera, Tara and their friends often played friendly rounds with their golfing parents. Dessert was at stake with competitions dubbed “The Ice Cream Cup.”
Said Tara: “We weren’t happy when they won.”
Out of 384 high school girls golfers in the CIF San Diego Section, Vera is ranked 11th. Tara is ranked 47th.
Tara is the younger sister, but at 5-foot-7 compared to Vera’s 5-4, she isn’t the little sister.
Including roll, Tara hits the ball about 230 yards, 15 yards farther than Vera.
Said Vera: “If we’re playing together and I hit a nice drive, I might say, ‘Oh, I hit mine soooo good.’ Then when we drive the cart up to the ball, she laughs and says, “Mine’s still 10 yards farther.”
Vera’s game is noted for its consistency.
“She consistently shoots under par, in a lot of tournaments, and fairly big tournaments,” said Smeal. “She works hard. She’s not the longest hitter, but once she hits it farther, she’ll turn some heads. She’ll play college golf, Division I.
“Tara’s also a superstar. She’s probably going to be the player to beat around here pretty soon. She has a very simple swing. Very powerful.”
Sitting inside a coffee shop just a driver and lob wedge from Torrey Pines High School, Vera was asked what she misses about her father.
“Just everything,” she said. “After school, driving to Fairbanks Ranch and practicing.”
“A lot of little things,” said Tara. “He would joke around a lot.”
Both girls are excellent students. Vera has earned a 4.17 GPA. Her current class schedule includes Honors Math, English, Advanced Placement U.S. History, AP Physics and AP Chinese.
“We have been very busy,” their mother said, “and busy has been a plus.
Smeal said Fred Liu had a magnetic personality. Smeal recalled a time at a junior tournament two years ago when Fred invited him to a dinner celebrating Tara’s 13th birthday. Smeal said he had an obligation and couldn’t go.
“By the time we walked three more holes, I canceled our plans,” said Smeal. “He wasn’t letting us not go.
Smeal paused about the time it takes a golfer to bring the club back, then said, “He had a huge smile. You could see it a mile away.”
