NO LONGER ONE OF THE BOYS : WESTLAKE GOLFER PLAYS FOR USC WOMEN'S TEAM.

Byline: Rizza Yap Special to the Daily News

For former Westlake High golfer Linda Ishii, the biggest difference between prep and collegiate golf is not the level of competition, although it has certainly intensified. It's not the greater emphasis on teamwork. It's not even the more rigorous practice and workouts.

It's her teammates.

Playing on the USC women's golf team means the Westlake Village resident is no longer the only female on the squad.

Except for one other girl who joined the Westlake High School team for one season, ``I played with only guys,'' said Ishii, who placed second in the 1996 CIF individual championships. ``There was no girls' team. It was really different because guys talk about guy things. Now I'm with young ladies, not boys, and it's a more mature surrounding.''

But at 19, it seems like Ishii already has reached an uncommon level of maturity for a freshmen athlete.

``When she does well, she doesn't made a big deal out of it,'' said Johanna Josefsson, Ishii's teammate and roommate at USC. ``She's so calm and collected - you don't know if she's playing good or bad. And I don't see any nervousness. She doesn't seem like she's nervous at all.''

On Monday, Ishii will be playing her third collegiate tournament at the regional challenge at Palos Verdes Country Club - the first of six events for USC this spring. Ishii already has shown promise early this season. She finished tied for second in the individual competition at the San Diego Fall Classic in October.

Ishii said her performance in that tournament ``made me think that maybe I could compete in the college level.''

Maybe?

According to USC coach Andrea Gaston, Ishii is the Women of Troy's ``secret weapon.''

``Linda's got a lot of power in her swing,'' Gaston said. ``And she's got beautiful rhythm - a very natural swing. As she gains more tournament experience . . . and a few more shots in her bag . . . she's got tremendous potential to do really well. This year is kind of a testing ground for her, but she's already showing such great signs.''

So far, Ishii holds a stroke average of 77, but Gaston anticipates that number will drop by three or four by season's end, providing that she continues to practice intensively and manage her time wisely. Neither seems to be a problem for Ishii, the only newcomer on this year's team.

This semester, she is juggling at least four hours of practice four days a week and 17 units of classes. ``I hardly go out at all,'' said Ishii, whose major is undeclared. ``I'm not really able to, except for the weekends. Between school and work and golf, there are a lot of things to do. But I enjoy it, so I don't feel like I'm missing out.''

And as for practice, Ishii doesn't need to be told twice about the importance of constant training. She doesn't have any pre-tournament rituals or superstitions. The only preparation she does is ``just practice and practice, and that's about it.''

Apparently, that was the key to her improvement as a senior at Westlake. The summer after her junior year, Ishii put more hours into training, and it paid off when she helped lift the Warriors to a CIF state championship title last year. Ishii also said that after a bad game, ``as soon as I'm done, I just go practice.''

Golf started out as a hobby for Ishii when her father, Takao, taught her the sport at age 11, three years after they immigrated to the United States from Chiba, Japan. She said part of the reason they moved to America was because of golf. The sport is very popular in her native country but extremely expensive to practice, and facilities were limited.

``My dad wanted me to play golf,'' she said. ``I think he had dreams of turning pro. He worked really hard at a young age. Maybe he wanted that dream to become my dream.''

But Takao Ishii never had to force the sport on his daughter. As a young girl, she also played basketball and softball but soon found that she felt more at home on a golf course.

``When I started, I didn't even think about it (much),'' said Ishii. ``It was just fun to go out there and hit balls. But when I started competing, I found that what I wanted to do (was) go to college and play golf.''

In fact, she plans to play professionally, as long as she gets a college degree first. Education is important to the Ishii family. Her parents obtained their degrees in Japan, and now her older brother, who used to play golf, is going to college there.

So before mapping out her plans of touring with the LPGA, Ishii is concentrating on accomplishing her short-term goals - becoming All-America and qualifying for the NCAA finals. Both are realistic aspirations, according to her coach.

``I look at Linda, and I look at her as a potentially first-team All-American,'' Gaston said. ``She definitely has the potential to be a top-notch college golfer.''

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2 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Linda Ishii lines up a putt during a practice round in Palos Verdes.

(2) Her coach at USC calls Linda Ishii his team's ``secret weapon.''

John McCoy/Daily News