Jude Lee rejoined her Orange Lutheran girls golf teammates with a fresh perspective on unity after competing in the PING Junior Solheim Cup in early September.

Lee went 3-0 in the match-play event in Virginia to help Team USA set event records for points and margin of victory against its European counterparts.

“You just realize how important team chemistry is and how important is to get along and communicate with your team,” she said of the competition. “That really helped me. We learned how important it is to cheer each other up and be there for each other through the losses or the wins.”

Orange Lutheran reaped the benefits this fall.

Lee, a Stanford commit, contributed leadership and high-level play to help the Lancers capture a CIF-SS title and reach the CIF State championships for the first time.

“The way she has just embraced the leadership role,” Orange Lutheran coach Dustin Boburka said, “is unreal to me.”

As a junior captain, Lee teamed with senior captains Audrey Sung and Mason Egdahl to be a vocal leader who helped the Lancers bond for a record-setting season. The squad stressed teamwork and high character on and off the course.

“Being an athlete is not who you are,” Lee said. “As a Christian school, we know we’re all children of God and that’s what matters.”

Lee certainly delivered on the course when it mattered.

In Orange Lutheran’s second match against powerhouse Santa Margarita in the Trinity League, she set a personal-best score for nine holes with an eye-popping 8-under-par 28 at Black Gold Golf Course.

Lee, who had six birdies and an eagle, recorded the score after announcing her commitment to Stanford earlier in the day.

“It was a whirlwind,” she said of the mid-October day. “Unfortunately, we didn’t win that one (against Santa Margarita).”

Lee later fired a course-record 66 in winning the CIF-SS Southern Individual Regional at Los Serranos Golf Club but stayed driven for team success.

At the CIF-SS Division 1 finals in early November, she shot a 5-under 69 to share the team lead with Ally Kim as the Lancers stormed to the title with an impressive 19-under score of 351 at Los Serranos.

It was the school’s first section title in girls golf.

Three days later at the CIF-SS Individual Finals and regional qualifier, Lee stayed hot by placing second with a 4-under 68 at Temecula Creek Golf Club to help Orange Lutheran qualify for the CIF-SCGA SoCal Regional.

Lee continued to play under par at the regional final, carding a 3-under 71 at Los Serranos as Orange Lutheran advanced to the state championships for the first time.

The Lancers finished third at state behind champion Torrey Pines and Santa Margarita but maintained their perspective.

“This season was definitely unforgettable because no one had experienced team chemistry like this before and everyone just enjoyed being with each other,” Lee said. “Golf scores are great but in the end, (golf is) much bigger than that.”