New South Wales’ Grace Kim has won the Australian Girls Amateur Championship after a drama-packed final round at Port Kembla Golf Club today.
Kim shot rounds of 74, 68, 73 and 72 to finish the tournament at five under par. A shot behind her was her NSW teammate and day two leader Hannah Park, while Doey Choi completed the NSW trifecta in thrid place at two under par.
In a dramatic afternoon, Grace and Park were deadlocked with one hole remaining. It took a stunning birdie on the final hole for the 16-year old Kim to prevail.
Park hit her approach on the par five last hole to about 3m, then, moments later, Kim slotted her approach inside it. After a valiant attempt by Park to make her birdie putt, it was Kim who calmly stood up and holed her birdie for the championship.
Kim was all but lost for words after the event.
“That last putt won it for me,” she beamed. “I honestly thought we were heading for a play-off.”
"I’m so stoked with the win, I can’t think straight,”
Kim’s mother had watched the proceedings all day, and had trouble fighting her emotions after watching her daughter take her biggest title to date.
“Mum was in tears afterwards. She could barely talk, she didn’t expect it,” Kim said.
The Girls' Amateur Championship win also means that Kim has now earned a spot in next year’s ISPS Handa Australian Women’s Open. She was thrilled to hear the news.
“I’m stoked. I just heard about that, and I can’t think straight right now. I really cant put into words what that means,” she beamed.