Updated at 4:38 p.m., Saturday, July 28, 2007
Park defeats Hawaii's Kaneko in U.S. Girls' Junior final
Advertiser Staff
Kristen Park of Buena Park, Calif., defeated Honolulu's Ayaka Kaneko, 4 and 3, to win the U.S. Girls' Junior Championship yesterday at Tacoma Country & Golf Club in Lakewood, Wash.Park, 14, broke an all-squared deadlock after the first 18 holes by winning three of the first five holes to start the second 18 and take a 3-up lead.
Kaneko, a 17-year-old Sacred Hearts senior, closed her deficit to two by winning the 24th hole (par-3 sixth) with a birdie, but Park won the Nos. 9 and 12 to go 4-up after 30 holes.
The players halved the next three holes, giving Park the victory with three hole remaining.
During the morning round, Kaneko won the first two holes with pars, but Park quickly tied it with wins at Nos. 3 and 4. Later, Park took a 2-up lead after winning the par-4 10th with a birdie.
Kaneko responded with consecutive birdies — on the par-3 15th and par-5 16th — to go 1-up before Park squared the match with a birdie on the par-5 18th.
Kaneko was trying to become the first U.S. Girls' Junior winner from Hawai'i since Lori Castillo in 1978. Althea Tome was the first Hawai'i golfer to win the championship in 1977.
The tournament was conducted by the United States Golf Association.
Park and Kaneko are scheduled to join former Hilo resident Kimberly Kim and Honolulu's Stephanie Kono on the 20-member West team that will play the best United States juniors in the East in the Canon Cup starting Tuesday at The Honors Course in Ooltewah, Tenn.
