Michelle Kim Wins British Columbia Women’s Amateur By One Over Sister Taylor At Duncan Meadows
Michelle Kim Is The 2015 British Columbia Golf Women's Amateur Champion - Image Credit Alfie Lau
by Alfie Lau
17-year-old Michelle Kim is the 2015 winner of the Flumerfelt Cup after she held off a furious charge from her older sister Taylor at the British Columbia Women’s Amateur at Duncan Meadows Friday afternoon.
Michelle’s final round (-1) 71 to finish at (-3) 285 was good enough to beat Taylor Kim the defending champion. Taylor shot a (-4) round of 68 to finish at (-2) 286. Alisha Lau and Gloria Choi finished T3 at (+2) 290. “I’m very happy,” said Michelle as she posed for photos with the trophy. “It is so awesome to have my name underneath Taylor’s on this trophy.”
Michelle Kim started the day with a four-stroke lead on Taylor, but after making eagle on Duncan Meadows’ opening hole, she held a five-stroke lead over the Kent State University senior. “The eagle calmed my mental outlook,” said Michelle. “It was a nice and easy day for me.”
And that’s when Taylor started her charge, shooting a (-5) front nine of 31 and sitting at (-7) for the round after only 12 holes. In fact, as Taylor teed off on the 13th hole, she held a one-stroke lead over Michelle, but bogeys on three of the next five holes left the 20-year-old one shot short of her sister, who’s attending the University of Idaho this autumn.
Michelle said she didn’t look at the leaderboards until the 16th hole, and she knew Taylor was coming. “There was a big red 3, where did that come from?” said Michelle of her sister sitting at the same (-3) that she was at.
The tie was broken when Taylor hit her drive left on the 17th hole and she could only make bogey on the par-5. Michelle capitalized with a clutch par to take the lead. When Taylor hit her drive on 18 left again and could only make par, Michelle hit a smooth approach to 30 feet, where she made a routine two-putt for the victory.
image credit alfie lau
Michelle Kim (R) Shares The Flumerfelt Cup With Her Sister Taylor (L) - Who Won It Last Year
As she walked off the 18th green, she was met with sprays of water from Taylor, third-place finisher Gloria Choi and Stephanie Wong from the British Columbia player development department. “I wasn’t expecting that,” said Michelle. “It was pretty refreshing because it was a hot day.”
Taylor was happy for her sister’s win. “I know how it feels to win this type of event,” said Taylor. “I know how hard she worked over the winter with my dad. . . I’m so happy for her. She played great today.”
Taylor can lament the three-foot par putt she missed on 15 and the sloppy bogey on 17, but she’s taking nothing away from the new champion. “It’s OK, it’s golf. Things happen,” said Taylor, who was trying to become the first BC product to repeat as women’s amateur champion since Kira Meixner did the trick in 2007-08.
Taylor’s (-4) round of 68 fell just one stroke short of Paula Creamer’s (-5) round of 67 shot at Duncan Meadows on Aug. 21, 2002.
The Kim sisters and Gloria Choi comprise the British Columbia team for the Canadian Women’s Amateur, which will be held July 28-31 at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, SK. Choi earned her spot by besting Alisha Lau in a two-hole sudden death playoff Friday afternoon.
BEST BALL COMPETITION
The Kim sisters also won the Best-Ball completion, as their (-25) total of 263 was 10 strokes better than the team of Alisha Lau and Hannah Lee, who shot (-15) 273.