BC GOLF MEDIA
DUNCAN – Seventeen-year-old Michelle Kim of Surrey is the 2015 winner of the Flumerfelt Cup after she held off a furious charge from her older sister Taylor at the B.C. 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, by one stroke. Taylor shot a 4-under 68 to finish at 2-under 286. Alisha Lau of Langley and Gloria Choiof Richmond finished T3 at 290.
Vernon’s Mackenzie Barrie, a sophomore with the University of Wyoming Cowgirls, tied for 14th with a final-round 75 (301 total).
“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-under 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.
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.”
