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 Playing in her final AJGA event, Kimberly Kim of Pahoa, Hawaii, won the 18th annual Rolex Girls Junior Championship on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff at Rancho Sante Fe Golf Club in California.
Kim got the better of Jessica Korda of Bradenton, Fla., thanks to a terrific lag putt from 65 feet that settled just two feet from the hole. While Kim made par, Korda three-putted for an untimely bogey.
The mere fact that Korda was in the playoff served as a testament to her excellent day. Having begun the final round facing five-shot deficit, Korda rallied with a 4-under-par 32 on the back nine to tie Kim at 1-over-par. Kim surged into the lead with a birdie on the 17th hole, but fell back into a tie following a bogey at 18, dropping her into a playoff.
Kim made it known afterward that she was ending her junior golf career on this winning note. In a successful junior golf career, Kim won four AJGA events, including the Thunderbird International Junior, and she was a five-time Rolex Junior All-American. She was a three-time Canon Cup West Team member and also played for the United States at the Ping Junior Solheim Cup in 2005.
Kim's next stop, after a summer of amateur events, is at the University of Denver, where she begins college this fall.
Both Kim and Korda will compete in this year's Women's U.S. Open, which is scheduled for July 6-12 at Saucon Valley Country Club in Bethlehem, Pa. Korda earned a return trip by virtue of her tie for 19th place in last year's Open, while Kim earned medalist honors at the sectional qualifier in Santa Cruz, Calif. Overall, 13 AJGA members will be among the 156 players vying for top honors in Bethlehem.
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