PUEBLO, Colo. — A funny thing happened to Kimberly Kim on her way to the 2006 U.S. Women's Open.

The 14-year-old from Hilo, who qualified for next week's Open in Newport, R.I., made a stop at Walking Stick Golf Course. She figured she'd use the Women's Amateur Public Links as a tune-up.

Kim then found two rounds of exceptional golf in her bag yesterday and advanced to the finals of the 30th annual WAPL.

She faces 19-year-old Tiffany Joh of San Diego in the 36-hole match-play final today.

Kim dispatched top-seeded Mina Harigae, 9 and 7, in the morning quarterfinals and then beat 2005 runner-up Tiffany Chudy, 4 and 3, in the afternoon semifinals.

"This, by far, is the best day of golf I have ever played," Kim said. "I made a lot of birdies and was able to stay focused on every shot — at least almost every shot.

"It was pretty intense, but fun, out there. I didn't realize it was 36 (on Friday), 36 (yesterday), 36 (today) holes."

Kim's father, Young Soo, lives in Hilo, where he grows orchids, while Kimberly, her mother, Arlene, and sister, Christine, now live in the Phoenix area. The Kims moved to California briefly earlier this year, but settled on Arizona because of the weather and cost of living. They made the move to help facilitate the golf careers of Kimberly and Christine, a 2006 Waiakea High graduate who will attend the University of Colorado in the fall.

Kim started both matches quickly yesterday and was never threatened. She lost just two holes in the semifinal and none in the quarters. In fact, she went 22 holes, between her third-round match and the semifinals, without losing a hole.

"I thought (Chudy) was going to not even be human because I knew she was a great player," Kim said. "Then we started playing and I got ahead early, so I felt a lot better."

Kim won Nos. 2 through 5, making the turn at 2-under with a 4-up lead. She won the 11th with par, then gave it back with bogey on No. 13. She matched Chudy's birdie on No. 15 to close the match.

The quarterfinals yesterday morning were delayed for nearly two hours because of 50 mph winds. The weather, and the competition, had Kim a bit intimidated.

She had to wait to play Harigae, a 16-year-old from California who is one of the top junior players in the country and someone who was stomping the competition here all week.

"I was a little nervous because I tend to swing with the wind," Kim said. "I don't know how to hit knock-down shots and I hate putting when it's windy because the ball rattles.

"And playing Mina, who was playing so good, I was quite intimidated. But my family said not to be nervous and worried about it for me."

Kim made six birdies and closed out Harigae after just 11 holes.

"She was hot all day," Harigae said. "It was her day; it definitely wasn't mine. When someone plays that well, there's nothing you can do about it."

The margin of victory tied the championship record held by three others, including Hawai'i's Lori (Castillo) Planos.

"I putted unbelievably," said Kim, who had seven one-putts.

While six birdies always are nice, it was a pair of par saves by Kim that broke Harigae's spirit.

On the 159-yard, par-3 sixth hole, playing dead into a 30 mph wind, Kim's tee shot hit a cart path, bounced straight up in the air and then landed on a hillside. The ball came to rest a treacherous 10 yards from the pin.

With a downhill lie, she chipped to 12 feet, then sank a slick downhill putt.

On the par-4, 369-yard seventh, again dead into the wind, Kim rammed her first putt 15 feet past the pin and off the green. She made the come-backer to remain 5-up.

"My sister (who caddied for her) told me not to leave my first putt short, so I killed it," Kim said. "Then I got over my second putt and I just ran it in."

That seemed to ignite Kim. She then won the par-3, 173-yard eighth with par, the par-4, 326-yard ninth with birdie, the par-4, 375-yard 10th with birdie and closed out the match when she won the par-4, 401-yard 11th with par.

"That's really good for me," said Kim, who was 6-under when the match ended. "I wanted to keep going to see how low I could go. That probably would have been my best score ever in stroke play."

U.S. WOMEN'S AMATEUR PUBLIC LINKS CHAMPIONSHIP

AT PUEBLO, COLO

STROKE PLAY 73-76—149 (TIED FOR 24TH)

Match play First round: defeated Anya Sarai Alvarez, 7 and 6 Second round: def. Kelly Schaub, 4 and 3 Third round: def. Glory Joo Young Yang, 4 and 3 Quarterfinals: def. Mina Harigae, 9 and 7* Semifinals: def. Tiffany Chudy, 4 and 3 Championship: Today vs. Tiffany Joh

* ties tournament record for margin of victory