AROUND THE GREENS
Kim sisters comprise formidable junior duo

By Bill Kwon

Christine Kim, right, calls younger sister Kimberly "the most inspirational" person she has met. Kim family photo

"We're very close. We go everywhere together, we do everything together," said Christine, 16, a junior at Waiakea High School. There isn't even a hint of sibling rivalry, not usually the case considering that she is three years older than Kimberly, who will be 13 on Aug. 23.

And it's not often that an older sister calls the younger one in the family "the most inspirational person" she has ever met.

Christine explains:

"She's 12 years old and she can beat me. I beat her in practice but she always beats me in tournaments. Somehow, she gets fired up in tournaments."

Not surprisingly, despite the age difference, Kimberly is the more accomplished of the two golfing daughters of Young Soo, a Big Island orchid grower, and Arlene Kim.

Kimberly captured the Callaway Junior World title for girls ages 11 to 12 this summer in San Diego. Four years ago, she established herself as the world's best 8-year-old in the same tournament. She finished third in the 9-10 division in 2002.

Christine hasn't done badly for herself either, representing Hawai'i in the Optimist Junior Championships in Florida and the Girls Junior America's Cup in British Columbia this summer.

Still, even Christine, who made it through the local qualifying for the 2001 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship, bows to Kimberly as the best golfer, even if not the best athlete, in the family.

It's remarkable, considering Kimberly taught herself the game by just watching her older sister.

"Christine was very athletic," said the proud father of his two daughters who are also academically gifted. "She was good in soccer, swimming and judo. So I introduced her to golf. We took Christine for golf lessons. In one year's time, she qualified for the Junior World."

Kimberly, then 7, would tag along, watching her older sister on the practice range. She proved to be a fast, self-taught learner.

"Christine had a coach. Kimberly never had anybody teach her the game," Kim said. "She was a natural."

"My sister started playing golf and I followed her footsteps. I sort of copied her," said Kimberly, who hopes to earn a college scholarship one day and perhaps even play on the LPGA Tour.

She remembers her first Junior World appearance in 2000 when she won the girls' 7-8 crown.

"The first time was more luck. All the girls did bad and I won shooting over par. This time I won in under-par, which was better," said Kimberly, an eighth-grader and A-student at Waiakea Intermediate.

Though she's still a year away from playing high school golf, she now competes in the girls' 15-17 age division in local tournaments.

"It's sort of a challenge," said Kimberly, taking a page from Michelle Wie's textbook by playing "up" — or against better competition.

Just ask Christine, who has to play against her in the same events.

"She's really mature. She's the one who's always telling me to practice hard, always pushing me," said Christine, who at least has bragging rights in one category: "I think I'm a better putter."

But it's off the tee where Kimberly is particularly impressive for her age and size. At 5 feet 3, she averages 240 yards on her drives, sometimes longer, she said.

"People always ask me, 'is she in high school?' " said Kim, a native of Mokpo, South Korea, who emigrated to the United States in 1976. When a market he owned in Newark, N.J., was robbed at gunpoint, he decided to come to Honolulu in 1986 where he met his wife.

They called the Big Island home after vacationing there later that year.

Now, they're the parents of two of the island's more talented young golfers and the best sister twosome in the state.

Kimberly will play in one more national event before starting school.

She and Leilehua's Britney Choy, who won the 2004 state high school title as a sophomore, are entered in an American Junior Golf Association tournament at Pasco, Wash., next week.

Clyde Rego wake Aug. 25

Wake services for Clyde Rego will be held Aug. 24 from 5:30 p.m. at Mililani Memorial Park. Viewing, starting at 9 a.m., and a funeral service will be held Aug. 25 at Our Lady of Sorrows in Wahiawa with burial to follow at Mililani Memorial Park. The wrong date was given for the wake service in yesterday's Advertiser.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.