For Raymond Kim, everything just seemed to go his way on Sunday at Black Gold Golf Club in the foothills of Southern California. He fired a steady 1-under-par 71 to finish at 141 in a tie at the top with Irvine native Scott Blair, who shot a final-round 69 to get himself into a playoff.
On the second playoff hole, Blair put his approach just 15 feet for birdie on the par 5 18th, while Kim left himself a challenging 25-foot putt from off the green. Kim’s birdie attempt came up 4 feet short leaving much of the crowd nervous, including many of Kim’s friends who were watching the playoff from the clubhouse patio overlooking the green.
“Those fringes were so hard to judge,” Kim said after.
Unfortunately for Scott Blair and much of the field, judging the speed around the hole on the 18th green was a struggle. Blair’s birdie attempt blasted by the hole and ended up outside of Kim’s mark. His comeback putt failed to touch the hole, leaving Kim a 4-foot putt to wrap up the victory.
“I don’t smile,” Kim said as he was handed the championship trophy.
First-round leader Jackson Rivera finished with a disappointing bogey on the last hole to miss out on the playoff. He shot 69 - 73 to claim solo third place.
In the Senior Championship flight, Chris Berra shot a final round 74 to claim the title. Alexandria West claimed the title in the Women’s Championship Flight.