(CWAC)
CARMEL, Calif. (Aug. 30, 2013) – It was a hard fought battle for the title as Lauren Kim of Los Altos was matched against Tiffany Lim of San Jose in the 36-hole final of the 47th annual California Women’s Amateur. Kim, a sophomore at Stanford, took an early 2-up lead with birdies at holes 1 and 3, but Lim, who plays for Harvard, bounced back winning 4 and 5 with a birdie and a par to square up the match. Kim went 1-up after 8 when Lim made bogey on the long par 3. The two friends matched scores with pars through 15. Kim made a 3-putt bogey after charging her 30 foot birdie putt and the match became all square. Lim took the lead for the first time with par on 17 and the morning round finished 1-up to the 19 year old Harvard junior after pars at 18.
After a short break, the match resumed and Lim recharged her momentum, making birdies at holes 1, 4 and 6, increasing her lead to 4-up. Kim got one back at the par 3 #8 with a birdie of her own but lost it again when Lim made a 20 foot birdie putt on the 11th.
Kim, now 4-down with 6 to go, made an opportune par on 13 when Lim opened the door with an uncharacteristic 3-putt bogey. Kim capitalized on the momentum swing making back-to-back birdies when wedge shots put her 6 feet out on 14 and 2 feet away on 15 resulting in a concession. The two halved 16 with pars. Having the honor of hitting first 17, Kim floated a hybrid against the wind to 8 feet to put the pressure on her opponent who blocked her shot into the right greenside bunker. Lim’s bunker shot rolled across the hole and finished in striking distance, but Kim drained her birdie putt to get back to all square with 1 to go. Both players narrowly missed the green on 18 and settled for bogeys . . . and a sudden death playoff.
On the 37th hole, both players hit good drives down the right center of the fairway. Lim hooked her fairway wood into the rough and a side hill lie. Kim hit her second shot to the right side of the fairway in perfect position. Both players pulled their approach shots hole-high in the deep left rough. Lim left herself a long par putt and missed. Kim, the 2009 California Junior Girls’ Champion, hit a beautiful flop shot to four feet and confidently knocked in her par putt to win the championship title.
There were hugs and smiles on both sides between players, their parents, and the gallery. Tiffany Lim flew to Boston after the match to begin her pre-season practice. Lauren Kim, who spent her summer studying in Korea, goes off to the State Fair tournament in Sacramento before returning to Stanford the following week. For her, “It was a good win in a long, long week.”
In the Helen Lengfeld flight Cailey Gino of Dana Point def. Hannah Purdy of Newbury Park 4 & 3.
The California Women’s Amateur Committee and the players thank the Quail Lodge Golf Club for hosting this event for the last 27 years. Once again the golf course was in magnificent condition.
View results for California Women's Amateur
ABOUT THE California Women's Amateur
The California Women’s Amateur Championship was
founded in 1967 and played at Pebble Beach Golf
Links until 1987 when the Championship was invited
to Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, where it was
played through 2019.
36-hole stroke play qualifying
round, 18 holes each day, to determine 32
players
for match play. Prizes will be awarded
to the Champion, Runner-up, Semifinalists,
Quarterfinalists
and the 36-hole Low Gross Medalist
from qualifying rounds.
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