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Late Birdie Lifts Kim to U.S. Junior Amateur Championship
7/30/2023 12:44:00 PM | Men's Golf
CHARLESTON, S.C. – A birdie on the 35th hole of the 36-hole championship match helped propel Duke men's golf incoming freshman Bryan Kim to the 2023 United States Junior Amateur Championship title on Sunday morning. With his 2UP victory in the 75th iteration of the U.S. Junior Amateur, Kim earns an exemption into the 2024 U.S. Open, held at Pinehurst No. 2, and both the 2023 and 2024 U.S. Amateur Championships.
"It really hasn't sunk in yet," said Kim. "Especially coming into this week, I hadn't made a cut at a USGA event, but to not only make the cut but win all six of my matches, especially against all these great competitors, it just means the world. "
Kim entered match play as the No. 52 seed and is the lowest seed to win the title since Charlie Beljian did so as the No. 56 seed in 2002. The Brookeville, Md., native becomes the second Duke men's golfer to lift the trophy at the U.S. Junior Amateur, joining Jason Widener, who won the event in 1988.
"It was a very special week for Bryan, and Coach Heintz and I are thrilled to have been able to watch him win this championship", said head coach Jamie Green. "He puts in the time in all areas, he made the adjustments that he needed to from round to round and showcased his skillset all week long. And those are just some of the many reasons why we're so excited to have him join the program here in just a matter of days. It's going to be great for him to come in on a high and it should provide some really good energy for everybody."
The championship match spanned two days due to weather delays, marking the first time the U.S. Junior Amateur final was extended a day due to weather since 2002. Kim, matched up against Joshua Bai from New Zealand, halved the first two holes of the match. Bai went 2UP with back-to-back birdies on holes No. 3 and No. 4, but Kim responded right back with birdies of his own on the next two holes to move the match back to all square.
After a Bai birdie on No. 8, Kim won three consecutive holes to go 2UP for the first time in the match. His hot streak was highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 10th, after his approach hit the flagstick and settled within a foot of the hole. Bai then went on a winning streak of his own, winning four straight holes to go 2UP. Kim stopped the run in dramatic fashion, pouring in a par putt from outside of 30 feet on No. 16, and followed up with a wedge to four feet and resulting birdie to trim Bai's lead to just 1UP after the first 18 holes of play.
The second round of the championship match began on Saturday afternoon but was halted after seven holes due to severe weather. Kim surged back into the lead with consecutive birdies on the 21st and 22nd holes. An impressive up and down par save by Kim resulted in a halve on the 25th hole and ensured the incoming freshman remained 1UP going into the weather delay.
Two birdies by Bai following the resumption of play on Sunday morning gave the New Zealander a 1UP lead. A wedge approach by Kim to inside 10 feet on the par-5 29th hole set up a fast downhill birdie putt, which he rolled in confidently and evened up the match once again. Kim moved back in front, 1UP, after a par on the next hole but the match once again moved back to all square following a birdie by Bai on the 32nd hole. Kim nearly chipped in for a birdie and a win on the 34th hole but had to settle for a par and a halve, setting up the closing dramatics.
Both players hit the fairway on the penultimate hole, allowing Kim to show off his wedge game, sticking his approach close. He rolled in the downhill eight-foot birdie putt to reclaim the lead for good. Kim set himself up with a birdie putt on the final hole, but eventually claimed the 2UP victory following a concession by Bai.
"It was 115 [yards], I think, and it was into the wind," explained Kim. "There's some good breeze up there today. Had a little mud on the ball, so I felt like it would knock it down a little bit, so I played it 125 [yards], hit a flighted gap wedge just long, had about an eight-footer. Felt really good about that putt."
The match, which went the full 36 holes, saw only 14 holes halved and a lead no larger than 2UP. Kim finished with 10 birdies and only three bogeys on his scorecard. He now turns his attention to the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship, which is played Aug. 14-20 at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Kim is the fourth current, and sixth overall, Blue Devil in the 312-player field.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMGOLF".
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"It really hasn't sunk in yet," said Kim. "Especially coming into this week, I hadn't made a cut at a USGA event, but to not only make the cut but win all six of my matches, especially against all these great competitors, it just means the world. "
Kim entered match play as the No. 52 seed and is the lowest seed to win the title since Charlie Beljian did so as the No. 56 seed in 2002. The Brookeville, Md., native becomes the second Duke men's golfer to lift the trophy at the U.S. Junior Amateur, joining Jason Widener, who won the event in 1988.
"It was a very special week for Bryan, and Coach Heintz and I are thrilled to have been able to watch him win this championship", said head coach Jamie Green. "He puts in the time in all areas, he made the adjustments that he needed to from round to round and showcased his skillset all week long. And those are just some of the many reasons why we're so excited to have him join the program here in just a matter of days. It's going to be great for him to come in on a high and it should provide some really good energy for everybody."
The championship match spanned two days due to weather delays, marking the first time the U.S. Junior Amateur final was extended a day due to weather since 2002. Kim, matched up against Joshua Bai from New Zealand, halved the first two holes of the match. Bai went 2UP with back-to-back birdies on holes No. 3 and No. 4, but Kim responded right back with birdies of his own on the next two holes to move the match back to all square.
After a Bai birdie on No. 8, Kim won three consecutive holes to go 2UP for the first time in the match. His hot streak was highlighted by a birdie on the par-4 10th, after his approach hit the flagstick and settled within a foot of the hole. Bai then went on a winning streak of his own, winning four straight holes to go 2UP. Kim stopped the run in dramatic fashion, pouring in a par putt from outside of 30 feet on No. 16, and followed up with a wedge to four feet and resulting birdie to trim Bai's lead to just 1UP after the first 18 holes of play.
The second round of the championship match began on Saturday afternoon but was halted after seven holes due to severe weather. Kim surged back into the lead with consecutive birdies on the 21st and 22nd holes. An impressive up and down par save by Kim resulted in a halve on the 25th hole and ensured the incoming freshman remained 1UP going into the weather delay.
Two birdies by Bai following the resumption of play on Sunday morning gave the New Zealander a 1UP lead. A wedge approach by Kim to inside 10 feet on the par-5 29th hole set up a fast downhill birdie putt, which he rolled in confidently and evened up the match once again. Kim moved back in front, 1UP, after a par on the next hole but the match once again moved back to all square following a birdie by Bai on the 32nd hole. Kim nearly chipped in for a birdie and a win on the 34th hole but had to settle for a par and a halve, setting up the closing dramatics.
Both players hit the fairway on the penultimate hole, allowing Kim to show off his wedge game, sticking his approach close. He rolled in the downhill eight-foot birdie putt to reclaim the lead for good. Kim set himself up with a birdie putt on the final hole, but eventually claimed the 2UP victory following a concession by Bai.
"It was 115 [yards], I think, and it was into the wind," explained Kim. "There's some good breeze up there today. Had a little mud on the ball, so I felt like it would knock it down a little bit, so I played it 125 [yards], hit a flighted gap wedge just long, had about an eight-footer. Felt really good about that putt."
The match, which went the full 36 holes, saw only 14 holes halved and a lead no larger than 2UP. Kim finished with 10 birdies and only three bogeys on his scorecard. He now turns his attention to the 123rd U.S. Amateur Championship, which is played Aug. 14-20 at Cherry Hills C.C. in Cherry Hills Village, Colo. Kim is the fourth current, and sixth overall, Blue Devil in the 312-player field.
To stay up to date with Blue Devils men's golf, follow the team on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook by searching "DukeMGOLF".
#GoDuke
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