Candie Kung

Candie Kung, of Chinese Taipei, outlasted Missy Farr-Kaye, of Scottsdale, Ariz., 2 up, to win her first national title in the 25th United States Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at the 6,110-yard, par 72 Kemper Lakes Golf Club.

For Kung, 19, the victory was the high point of two grueling weeks of golf. Kung was runner-up in the Women’s Western Amateur Championship the previous week and played 17 rounds of competitive golf, or 282 holes, in 14 days.

Admittedly tired, Kung, who was also the medalist, was elated. “It feels great,” she said. “You just have to keep fighting in match play. Anything can happen.”

Kung and Farr-Kaye played consistent, conservative golf on the front nine, taking few chances. Kung was 1 up at the turn and took a 2-up lead at the 10th hole when Farr-Kaye couldn’t hole her putt for par.

But Farr-Kaye, the 33-year-old mother of two, hung on. She birdied both par-5 holes on the back nine to square the match at the 15th hole.

Indecision on the 16th tee cost her the hole and the match. The 345-yard, par-4 hole has a water hazard on the right and a fairway bunker on the left. Farr-Kaye decided not to use a 3-wood from the tee as she had earlier in the week.

“I knew that I might hit into the water with the driver, but I knew the 3-wood wouldn’t go far enough to give me a good approach to the green,” she said.

Her tee shot with the driver bounced into the hazard. Kung drove safely with her 3-wood and easily won the hole with a par to go 1-up. They halved the par-3 17th with pars, Kung taking her 1-up lead to the difficult 354-yard, par-4 18th hole.

With water lining the left side, both players drove safely, then faced a difficult approach shot to a flagstick tucked behind water fronting the green. Kung scorched a 5-iron that hit the front of the green, then hopped into the back fringe. Farr-Kaye’s 3-iron hit hole high, then bounded into the back bunker.

Her sand shot rolled over the green, then Kung chipped to within three feet of the hole. Farr-Kaye used a putter from the fringe from 25 feet away, and missed the long putt for par. Kung made her short putt to take the hole and the match, 2 up

It’s Kung’s first big title. In addition to her second-place finish in the Women’s Western Amateur, she was runner-up in the 1997 U.S. Girls’ Junior.

“I thought I was always going to be ‘Miss Runner-up,’” Kung said.

Farr is the sister of the late Heather Farr, who won this title in 1984.