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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Sunday, May 15, 2005

Chun cards 72 for seven-shot Jennie K. lead

By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser

LANIKAI — Mari Chun opened and closed the day the same way — with a bogey.

Chun

Kaneko
Still, the Kamehameha Schools senior shot an even-par 72 for a 36-hole score of 5-under 139 to take a commanding seven-stroke lead going into today's final round of the 55th Jennie K. Wilson Invitational at the Mid-Pacific Country Club course.

Ayaka Kaneko, an eighth-grader at Sacred Hearts Academy, posted the day's best round, a 2-under 70, for a 146, while defending champion Amanda Wilson (75) was next at 152.

"I missed a lot of putts," said Wilson, a Waiakea High senior who'll be attending the University of Arizona. She missed four birdie putts around the 10- to 12-foot range — ones that fell when she set a tournament record of 5-under 211 for 54 holes last year.

"I want to shoot under par, just play the golf course," said Chun, a straight-A student who knows that an under-par finish today would break Wilson's record.

It's not so much about records, though, but winning the Jennie K., according to Chun.

"I really wound like to win because this might be my last Jennie K. At least for four years," said Chun, who received a full golf scholarship to Stanford and will be in college at this same time next year.

The bogey finish yesterday was a bit of a downer for Chun.

"It's not the best way to finish a round," said Chun, who took a bogey-5 at the ninth hole. A bogey-bogey start at 10 and 11 wasn't a good way to begin the round either.

The bogey at the opening par-4 10th (the leaders played the back nine first) was more of a mental mistake, according to Chun, who three-putted from three feet, going five feet past the hole and missing the comebacker.

"I got a little too aggressive. I forgot how fast the green was," said Chun, who recovered with birdies at 12 and 13 and another at the par-5 15th before giving one back at 17 to make the turn at 36.

Back-to-back birdies at the fourth and fifth holes put Chun, who started the day with a nine-stroke lead, nine up again over closest challenger Ayaka Kaneko. But Chun gave back two more strokes with bogeys at the sixth and ninth holes, missing the green in regulation both times.

"It'll be difficult to catch her. She's a really good player," Kaneko said. "I need to shoot 5-under for a chance."

Chun, Kaneko and Wilson, who played together yesterday, will be in the final threesome again this morning, teeing off at 9:06.

NOTES

With Jennie K. officials limiting the championship flight to players with a USGA handicap from 0 to 4 (from 0 to 7 last year), there were only nine playing for the title.

In the championship field playing to a 3.4 handicap is fifth-grader Kyung Kim of Wailuku, Maui, who turned 11 last month. She carded her second straight 78 for fourth place at 156 in her debut in an adult tournament. "She's amazing," said cart partner and veteran golfer Mona Kim. Asked what she was doing when she was 11, Kim said: "It was too long ago. I cannot remember."

A scheduling conflict with the state high school girls' championship held earlier this week also reduced the number of qualified players for the championship field. Chun and Wilson, who both tied for second in the state tournament at Maui Dunes earlier in the week, decided to play on. But 2003 Jennie K. champion Stephanie Kono passed up this year's event to practice for tomorrow's U.S. Women's Open local qualifier at Ko Olina. Joining Kono in the local qualifying will be Chun, Kaneko and state girls' champion Christine Kim of Waiakea High. Wilson is exempt tomorrow, having played in last year's U.S. Women's Open. She'll go straight to the sectional qualifier June 13, also at Ko Olina.