Kim, Kimura capture Waialae titles
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
Bev Kim ran her streak of success at the Waialae Women's Invitational into a fifth decade yesterday while Michiko Kimura was elated to defend her title for the first time.
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Deja vu is no surprise at a 48-year-old tournament people play as much to see old friends as to test their golf game on the Hawaiian Open course.
Bev Kim won low-gross honors for the seventh time at the Waialae Women's Invitational.
Kim closed with a 78 to win low-gross honors for the seventh time with a tournament total of 8-over-par 152. Remarkably, at age 58, this is her second-best score. Kim shot 150 when she won her first low-gross title in 1966.
Since then she has won pretty much every championship that matters and was inducted into the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Fame last year. Apparently, her game is still peaking.
A swing change in November that is "finally beginning to synch" has her less upright and more precise. A revved-up swing speed — she just hit 90 mph on her Speed Stick training club — has given added yardage to go with the improved accuracy.
This week, she found Waialae Country Club's elusive fairways and greens with little problem. She has always liked the course's slick, pure greens.
"Today I hit some shots that looked like senior moments," Kim said. "Some looked like what the juniors hit. The senior shots put me in the trees and over the trees. The juniors' got me out."
The golfer with the low-net score is co-champion at Waialae. For the last two years that has been Kimura. She won with a 25-handicap last year and 16 yesterday. Rounds of 85-84 combined with her handicap to give her a winning score of 7-under 137.
Kimura didn't start golfing seriously until January of 2003. Now she plays at least four times a week, usually at Pearl Country Club and Leilehua.
"I just love it," Kimura says, "and I want to get better."
Pearl's emphasis on precision and Leilehua's exceptional length are an ideal warmup for Waialae. Kimura is now two short of Kim's four low-net titles.
Kim won the first of those in her first try at Waialae, in 1961 at age 15. Twice, she has captured both the gross and net championships (1966 and '85).
She traces some of that success to a tournament ambience that resembles a reunion more than a major championship.
"It's just an enjoyable kind of tournament," she said. "Jennie K. and Stroke Play, the atmosphere is different. You get out there and your heart pounds even if you're out of it. You really want to do well. Over here, you just want to enjoy, and I did."
Jung Sook Bae shot 79—158 for the second-best low-gross score. Two-time champion Mona Kim and Maui's Mia Hew had rounds of 79—81 to tie for third.
Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043
