kathy Cho chips her way to the Jenny K. Wilson championship.
Photo by George F. Lee, special to the Star-Bulletin
kathy Cho chips her way to the Jenny K. Wilson championship.
Photo by George F. Lee, special to the Star-Bulletin
Kathy Cho became the second golfer in a row from her school to win the prestigious women's event by making up five strokes over the last three holes to beat Kari Lee Williams by one shot yesterday at the Mid-Pacific Country Club course.
Cho shot a 76 for a 54-hole total of 234 in what turned out to be survival of the fittest at the par-73 Lanikai layout.
Williams, who had shared the lead with Kalaya Bhaedhayajib after 36 holes, finished with an 83 after finishing bogey-bogey-bogey.
"Go Punahou!" said defending champion Anna Umemura, who was the youngest Jennie K. winner in 44 years with her 1995 victory.
The winner of the 1951 Jennie K.? Jackie Yates, a Punahou sophomore.
Interestingly, caddying for the 16-year-old Cho was teaching pro Casey Nakama, who won the Mid-Pacific Open last month. "She was the one that made the shots, though," said Nakama. "She's long and she's a good putter."
Still, Cho, who was making her first appearance in a major tournament, started the day six strokes behind two seasoned golfers: Bhaedhayajib, a former USC golfer who now plays out of Mid-Pac, and Williams, who played for the University of Hawaii and was the 'winner of the Jennie K. in 1994 and runner-up last year.
Bhaedhayajib's round yesterday? "You don't want to know," said the former USC golfer, who staggered in with a 13-over-par 86.
Williams was in command until Cho eagled the par-5 16th, sinking a 25-foot putt. Williams bogeyed, making it a three-shot swing.
"Sixteen was big but I was still in fine shape," said Williams, who saw her lead cut to two. Cho pulled even with a birdie at 17th, nearly holing out her second shot from 128 yards out, and Williams bogeyed again.
At 18, Williams saw her 41/2-foot par putt lip out. Cho calmly stroked in her 4-footer for par and the victory.
Cho started so far back that she and Nakama didn't exactly know where they stood on the leaderboard. Nakama found out after 16, but didn't tell Cho.
Chise Kotani of California shot the day's best round - a 75 - to finish third at 236, while UH's Makoto Kamio and 67-year-old Mildred Stanley, the first-round leader, were at 237 with Bhaedhayajib at 238.