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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, July 22, 2006

Kono falls in Juniors quarterfinal

Advertiser Staff and News Services

Honolulu's Stephanie Kono hits a tee-shot at the 13th hole during her quarterfinal match against Mina Harigae at the U.S. Girls Junior.

@USGA/Christopher Record

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Mina Harigae of Monterey, Calif., defeated Honolulu's Stephanie Kono, 4 and 3, yesterday in a match play quarterfinal of the U.S. Girls Junior golf tournament at Carmel Country Club in Charlotte, N.C.

Vicky Hurst, 16, of Melbourne, Fla., defeated Harigae, 2 and 1, in the semifinals and will face 13-year-old Jenny Shin of Torrance, Calif., for the championship. Shin beat Alexandra Bodemann of Palm City, Fla., 2 and 1 in the semifinals.

Kono, a 16-year-old Punahou junior, led 1-up after the first three holes, but Harigae, the stroke-play medalist, tied Kono at the fourth hole and never looked back. She led 3-up after 11 holes and finished off the match when Kono conceded the 15th hole.

"I think I played pretty well. I made enough birdies to match her," Kono said. "I did make a couple bogeys and you can't do that against her."

Kono was the last Hawai'i golfer remaining in the tournament. Five others were eliminated in stroke or match play.

The U.S. Girls Junior is open to amateurs 17 and under. The 36-hole match play final will be played today.

Shin could become the second youngest champion after Aree Song Wongluekiet, who won in 1999 at 13 years, 3 months, 7 days.

Kono, Kimberly Kim and Elyse Okada are scheduled to play in the American Junior Golf Association's McDonald's Betsy Rawls Girls Championship at Malvern, Pa., starting Monday.

In the U.S. Junior Amateur at Rancho Santa Fe (Calif.) Golf Club, Richard Lee of Chandler, Ariz., will play Philip Francis of Scottsdale, Ariz., in the 36-hole final.

Lee, 15, beat defending champion Kevin Tway, 1-up in yesterday's semifinals, while Francis, 17, eliminated Andrew Putnam, 4 and 3.

Putnam eliminated Honolulu's Tadd Fujikawa in the round of 16 on Thursday.

Information from the United States Golf Association was used in this report.