Otay Ranch High School alumnus Hannah Kim birdied 10 of the final 25 holes to finish second at the 23rd Phil Kosin Illinois Women’s Open July 17-19 at the Mistwood Golf Club in Romeoville, Ill.
Kim shot 210 to finish the three day, 54-hole event at minus-six — two stokes behind Vanderbilt University’s Alexandra Farnsworth, who shot 208 (minus-eight) to hold on to win the tournament.
The Illinois Women’s Open mixes female professionals with veteran amateurs, top collegiate and high school golfers.
An incoming senior at Northwestern University in Evanston, Ill., Kim will help spotlight the field in next month’s U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship at the San Diego Country Club.
The 2014 ORHS graduate has quickly risen to the top of the collegiate charts in women’s golf. A two-time Big Ten Golfer of the Year award-winner (2015, 2016) and 2016 First Team Women’s Golf Coaches Association All-American, Kim made her LPGA debut as sponsor’s exemption at the 2016 Meijer LPGA Classic.
Dean Knuth, a former San Diego Country Club president and current general chairman for the U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship, noted there are 156 players coming from almost every state and from 13 different countries to compete for this historic national championship that has been played since 1895.
To have a player the caliber of Kim playing on her hometown course is, of course, not lost on any of the local tournament staff.
“We are so thrilled that Chula Vista will be represented by such a great All-American golfer,” Knuth said. “Admission is free, including free parking, and we hope that our community comes out in force to root for Hannah.”
“Hannah is extremely excited to be playing this year in her hometown,” Northwestern Assistant Athletics Director/Communications Paul Kennedy noted.
“It’s a true honor to have the opportunity to compete against some of the best golfers in the world at the U.S. Amateur Championship,” Kim said. “For that chance to come just three miles from the house I grew up in is a dream come true. I can’t wait to return to Chula Vista next month and have a hometown crowd cheering me on during the competition.”
Rising star
Kim enjoyed a star-studded career at Otay Ranch, winning Mesa League individual championships from 2010-12 and earning honors as the team’s Most Valuable Player all three years.
She helped Otay Ranch win the 2010 Mesa League golf championship.
A three-time First Team San Diego Section honoree, Kim finished runner-up at the CIF Southern California Sectional Qualifier in 2012.
During her days as a Mustang, she proved to be a winner on the golf course and in the classroom. She earned membership on the principal’s honor roll, was a recipient of the President’s Award and a life member and seal bearer in the California Scholarship Federation.
She also excelled in the junior golfing world.
She qualified for the 2010 and 2012 U.S. Girls Junior Amateur Championship, placed in the top 10 in the 2011 PGA Junior Championship and had the opportunity to hit the opening tee shot for the 2013 Farmer’s Insurance Open.
She finished third at the Callaway Junior World event in 2012 and captured a fifth-place finish at the esteemed Silver Belle Championship in 2012.
Before continuing her golfing career at Northwestern University, she was ranked ninth in the nation and third in California in her class, according to Junior Golf Scoreboard.
She’s continued to excel in the move to Chicagoland.
The 2015 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Kim owns lowest career (72.99) and single-season (71.94) stroke averages in NU history. She is a three-time First Team All-Big Ten honoree and two-time Academic All-Big Ten honoree.
She recorded the lowest 18-hole score in program history (64) at the 2016 Hurricane Invitational and the lowest 54-hole score in program history (199) at the same event.
She shot a four-round combined score of 292 (plus-4) to place 36th at the 2015-16 NCAA championships as a sophomore; she placed 76th at the 2014-15 NCAA championships with a score of 320 (plus-32) as a freshman.
She is also no stranger to large-draw tournaments in her home state.
She competed at the 2014 California Women’s Amateur Championship and advanced to the semifinals of the match play portion of the event.
In the spotlight
The upcoming U.S. Women’s Amateur Golf Championship is scheduled Aug. 7-13. This will mark the second time the San Diego Country Club has hosted the prestigious event, now in its 117th edition.
Jill McGill won the 1993 USGA championship when the event last landed in Chula Vista.
The course set-up for next month’s event is 6,423 yards and will play to a par 36-36 — 72 score. Based on the set-up, the course rating is 77.8 and the slope rating is 142.
The USGA women’s championship is open to female amateur golfers who have a handicap index not exceeding 5.4
The USGA received 1,327 entries for the 2017 event, slightly down from last year’s record entries of 1,381 in Springfield, Pa.
A starting field of 156 players will compete at the San Diego Country Club. Following 18-hole rounds of stroke play on Aug. 7-8, the field will be cut to the top 64 players for match play.
Five 18-hole rounds of match play will determine the finalists who will square off in a 36-hole championship match.
Entries closed on June 21. Sectional qualifying was conducted at 23 sites nationwide between June 26 and July 17 to complete the initial playing field for this year’s tournament.
California hosted three qualifiers: Rancho Cucamonga (June 27), Cameron Park (July 3) and Los Angeles (July 10).
To view qualifying results, visit the website at www.usga.org/womensam.
The upcoming event at the SDCC will receive extensive electronic media coverage. Fox Sports 1 will produce 15 hours of live network coverage over five days. To supplement the Fox Sports broadcast, the championship will receive at least four hours of live streaming on usga.org.
The winner will receive a gold medal and custody of the Robert Cox Trophy for one year, exemption from qualifying for the 2018 U.S. Women’s Open (provided she remains an amateur), exemption from qualifying for the next 10 U.S. Women’s amateur tournaments or U.S. Girls Juniors, if eligible, exemption from qualifying for the next 15 U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateurs or U.S. Senior Amateurs or 15 years from the time the player becomes eligible.
Quick Facts: United States Women’s Golf Amateur Championship
When: Aug. 7-13
Where: San Diego Country Club, 88 L St., Chula Vista
Spectator admission: Free (the club also will provide a free shuttle service from the J Street Marina)
Qualifying field: 156 players from 23 sectional qualifying tournaments, plus exempt players
Notable entrants: Hannah Kim (Northwestern University/Otay Ranch High School); Andrea Lee (Stanford/2016 U.S. Girls Junior runner-up/2016 U.S. Women’s Amateur quarterfinalist)
Broadcast schedule: Fox Sports (Aug. 9-13)
Website: www.usga.org/womensam
