Kimberly Kim, Jennifer Song To Meet For WAPL Title

Devens, Mass. – Kimberly Kim, 17, of Hilo, Hawaii, and Jennifer Song,19, of La Cañada, Calif., will meet in Saturday’s 36-hole final to decide the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship at the 6,267-yard, par-72 Red Tail Golf Club.

Kim defeated Joanna Coe, 19, of Mays Landing, N.J., in Friday’s semifinal, 4 and 3. Song advanced by defeating Jisoo Park, 14, of Korea, 2 and 1. In the quarterfinals Friday morning, Kim defeated 17-year-old Sun Gyoung Park of Vail, Ariz., 6 and 5, while Song ousted Casie Cathrea of Livermore, Calif., 4 and 3.

Kimberly Kim has reached the WAPL final for the second time in three years. (John Mummert/USGA)

At 13 years 7 months, Cathrea was vying to become the youngest champion in WAPL history. Michelle Wie was 13 years, 8 months when she won in 2003.

Kim was one of the most accomplished amateurs in women’s golf in 2006 when, at the age of 14, she became the youngest U.S. Women’s Amateur champion in history. She was also runner-up in the 2006 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links, but has made little impact since advancing to the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinals at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind.

“I’m in a state of shock,” said Kim after winning her semifinal match. “I can’t believe it. I never thought I’d make it to the final ever again.”

Kim went 1 up for the first time in the match with a par on the seventh hole. She won the eighth hole with an 8-foot birdie putt to go 2 up. At the 11th hole, Kim’s 20-foot birdie putt from the middle of a large swale was, she said, “the best putt ever in my life. I must have played five feet of break.” The putt gave her a 3-up advantage.

She birdied the 14th and 15th holes to win the match.

Meanwhile, Song eliminated the two youngest remaining players in the field.

“Both of them had great games,” Song said. “I didn’t expect them to falter. Playing them was really tough.”

Against Park, Song took an immediate 1-up lead when she birdied the first hole, but Park squared the match with a birdie on the second. Song won the fourth with a tap-in birdie putt. Both players birdied the sixth hole, where Park hit a pitching wedge from a divot to within 6 feet of the hole.

Song went 1 up at the 14th when she hit a 147-yard 7 iron to within 13 feet of the hole and made the putt. “I birdied that hole in the morning, so I had a good feeling,” said Song, a sophomore at the University of Southern California.

A winning par at the 15th hole gave her a 2-up lead and the match ended on the 17th green when Park failed to convert a 3½-foot downhill par putt after Song three-putted from the fringe.

Song was thrilled to be given a chance in yet another final. “I’m really hungry for it,” she said. “I think it’s really great. I love it.”

Song and Kim met previously in a quarterfinal match in the 2007 U.S. Women’s Amateur, with Kim winning on the 21st hole, but Song is not intimidated by her opponent’s superior record.

“That doesn’t really get in the way but I know she’s going to come out with a great game tomorrow,” said Song. “We’ll have fun out there.”

The scheduled 36-hole final begins at 8 a.m. EDT, with the second 18 holes scheduled to begin at 12:15 p.m.

The Women’s Amateur Public Links is one of 13 national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association, of which 10 are strictly for amateurs.

Story written by Rhonda Glenn, manager of communications for the USGA. E-mail her with questions or comments at rglenn@usga.org.

Devens, Mass. – Results from Friday’s quarterfinal and semifinal matches of the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship being played at the 6,267-yard, par-72 Red Tail Golf Club:

Quarterfinals
Upper Bracket

Jisoo Park, Korea (149) def. Cydney Clanton, Concord, N.C. (142), 1 up
Jennifer Song, La Cañada, Calif. (143) def. Casie Cathrea, Livermore, Calif. (145), 4 and 3

Lower Bracket

Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii (147) def. Sun Gyoung Park, Vail, Ariz. (149), 6 and 5
Joanna Coe, Mays Landing, N.J. (141) def. Sydnee Michaels, Temecula, Calif. (143), 1 up

Semifinals

Song def. J. Park, 2 and 1
K. Kim def. Coe, 4 and 3

Devens, Mass. – Starting times for the 36-hole championship of the 2009 U.S. Women’s Amateur Public Links Championship being played at the 6,267-yard, par-72 Red Tail Golf Club (All times EDT):

Championship

8 a.m. and 12:15 p.m.: Jennifer Song, , La Cañada, Calif. (143) vs. Kimberly Kim, Hilo, Hawaii (147)