GOLF REPORT
Ex-state prep champ Kim ousted at Publinks
| Shooting his age would be icing on cake for 90-year-old |
Advertiser Staff and News Services
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Former Hawai'i high school state champion Chan Kim was eliminated in the first round of match play yesterday at the 83rd U.S. Amateur Public Links championship in Aurora, Colo.
Kim, a former Kaimuki High School student who now resides in Chandler, Ariz., was beaten 3-and-2 by Andrew Paulson of White Bear Lake, Minn.
Kim was the only one of five Hawai'i golfers to advance to match-play competition. A field of 155 players was reduced to the top 64 following two rounds of stroke play.
Kim's match with Paulson was all-square when Kim parred the 10th hole to take a 1-up lead. Kim followed with a bogey on No. 11 to square the match again.
Paulson then won the 13th, 14th and 15th for a 3-up lead. Both parred No. 16, giving Paulson the victory.
Meanwhile, Brady Johnson provided the stunner of the day by beating medalist Aaron Goldberg, 5 and 4.
"I missed a couple of short putts, but I still didn't hit the ball very well," said Goldberg, a San Diego native. "Brady played well. He deserved to win. He played a lot better than I did."
Johnson, a 20-year-old junior-to-be at Brigham Young, had his own take on what he considered one of his greatest accomplishments. Johnson earned the last match-play spot Tuesday by winning a 10-man playoff.
"Everybody has a good day. Everybody has a bad day," Johnson said. "I got lucky today with the combination of the two."
Goldberg became only the third medalist beaten in a first-round match of match play since 2000. The previous two were Mark Harrell (2007) and Isaac Jimison (2002).
Second-seeded Rickie Fowler had a relatively easy time beating Michael Knott of Buffalo, 4 and 2.