On a U.S. Junior Presidents Cup roster littered with potential future stars, Bryan Kim stood out to Notah Begay III, the U.S. captain says, because of his strong wedge play.
A year later, Kim’s wedge talent was on full display as it helped the 18-year-old Brookeville, Maryland, native to victory at the 75th U.S. Junior Amateur.
Kim, an incoming freshman at Duke, posted a 2-up victory over New Zealand teen Joshua Bai, who is planning to eschew college golf, in a 36-hole final at Daniel Island Club in Charleston, South Carolina, that concluded on Sunday morning, a day later than planned, due to inclement weather.
Leading 1 up through 25 holes when thunderstorms suspended play for the remainder of Saturday, Kim returned to the course and promptly lost two straight holes, and the lead, to Bai. Kim regained his advantage three holes later, with par on his 30th hole, but surrendered it again to a Bai birdie on the 32nd hole. With the match tied with two holes to play, Kim’s wedge game showed up big. He stuck his 113-yard approach at the par-4 17th hole, the match’s 35th, to 7 feet, just outside of where he was during the first 18. He rolled in his second birdie on the hole in the final to take a 1-up lead into the last, the par-5 18th hole.
After Kim found the right rough off the tee and needing to pull off something heroic, Bai hit back-to-back 3-woods, though his second one from 275 yards out missed badly right and left him in a nearly impossible spot to get up and down for birdie. Kim smartly laid up and then wedged to about 15 feet before a slope knocked his ball back to about 25 feet. Not that it mattered. Bai sent his third shot screaming under some trees, across the green and into some TV cables in the far rough. His next chip was chunked, staying in the rough, and his fifth shot raced well past the hole. That’s when Bai conceded Kim the closing birdie and the match.
The last time an extra day was needed to finish this championship was the 2002 edition at Atlanta Athletic Club, where Charlie Beljan beat Zac Reynolds. Coincidentally, Kim, as the No. 52 seed this week, became the highest seed to win the U.S. Junior since Beljan, the No. 56 seed 21 years ago.
Once Kim had the large, bowl trophy placed in his hands, he used it for a few bicep curls.
“So heavy,” Kim said while setting it down to do his ceremonial interview.
After a long week, that included match-play wins over Jackson Byrd, Tyler Watts, Chase Kyes, Edan Cui and Will Hartman, few could blame Kim for wanting a break from doing the heavy lifting.
“I think I held up pretty good,” Kim said. “I knew it was going to be a long week … but I just kept thinking, one shot at a time, just stay in the present, and it will all work out in the end.”
It did, and now Kim has a ticket to next summer’s U.S. Open at Pinehurst, not too far from his new home for the next four years in Durham, North Carolina.
“I totally forgot about that,” Kim said.
Just don’t forget to bring your wedge game, kid.
