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Posted at 3:28 p.m., Friday, June 23, 2006

Kim advances to U.S. Women's Publinx quarterfinals

Advertiser Staff

Kimberly Kim advanced to the quarterfinals, while Stephanie Kono was eliminated in match play Friday in the 30th U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship at Pueblo, Colo.

Kim, a 14-year-old former Big Island resident now residing in Mesa, Ariz., defeated Glory Joo Young Yang, of Murrieta, Calif., in the third round, 4 and 3.

Kono, a 16-year-old junior-to-be at Punahou School, fell in the third round to Maria Jose Uribe of Columbia, 3 and 1.

The quarterfinals and semifinals are scheduled for Saturday. Kim faces stroke play co-medalist Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif., who defeated Morgan Grantham, of Kingman, Ariz., 5 and 4.

Earlier Friday, Kim and Kono won second-round matches Friday and advanced to the round of 16.

Two other Hawai'i golfers — Mari Chun and Amanda Wilson— lost their second-round matches.

Kim never trailed in a 4 and 3 victory over Kelly Schaub of Greeley, Colo., at the par-72, 6,263-yard Walking Stick Golf Course. Kim ended the match by winning the par-5 15th hole with a birdie.

Kono rallied beat Karla Murra of Sioux Falls, S.D., 4 and 3. Kono took her first lead of the match when she birdied the 12th hole. She then won the next three holes, including an eagle on the par-5 15th to end it.

Chun, a 2005 Kamehameha Schools graduate and Stanford University student, lost to Harigae, 7 and 6.

Wilson, a 2005 Waiakea High graduate and University of Arizona student, lost to Ashley Sholer of Canada, 3 and 1.

This is the event that Michelle Wie won as a 13-year-old and finished runner-up the next year.

Information from www.uswapl.org was used in this report.