One day after going 21 holes to advance, Kim lost, 5 and 3, to Amanda Blumenherst after just 15 holes in today's semifinals at the U.S. Women's Amateur Championship in Carmel, Ind.

The 15-year-old former Big Island resident now living in Arizona never led in her match today. Both players parred the first hole, but Blumenherst took the lead with a birdie on the second while Kim made par, and Kim never seemed to recover after going three extra holes to beat Jennifer Song yesterday in the quarterfinals.

"At least you can't say I gave up," she said.

Blumenherst, a 20-year-old from Arizona who plays at Duke, went 3-up after Kim hit behind a hazard on the sixth hole and 4-up two holes later after Kim's second shot went into the water. Blumenherst, who has had only one bogey in her past three rounds, birdied No. 10 after the backspin on her second shot brought her ball within a foot of the pin, and she birdied the par-5 No. 11 after a near-perfect pitch from the sand.

She knew she had the match after that.

"I was playing too well," said Blumenherst, a two-time college player of the year. "I knew I was hitting the ball so well that I was going to par at worst."

Kim birdied the 14th hole, while Blumenherst made par, as the lead narrowed to 4-up. But Blumenherst parred the 15th and Kim bogeyed to finish the match.

"I can't believe she played that good," Kim said. "I knew I was out of it. She just kept birdieing. I tried to take it as far as I could, but ... oh, well."

Blumenherst will face 17-year-old Colombian Maria Jose Uribe in tomorrow's 36-hole championship match. Uribe defeated 15-year-old Ha Na Jang of South Korea, 2 and 1.