Kim Outlasts Bai in Weather-Delayed U.S. Junior Amateur Final

Incoming Duke University freshman Bryan Kim became the second Blue Devil to win the U.S. Junior Amateur Championship with his 2-up victory over Joshua Bai on Sunday in the weather-delayed 36-hole final at Daniel Island Club’s Ralston Creek Course, in Charleston, S.C.

Kim, 18, of Brookeville, Md., joins Jason Widener (1988) as Duke players to etch their name on the U.S. Junior Amateur Trophy that includes the likes of major champions Tiger Woods, Johnny Miller, David Duval, Jordan Spieth, Scottie Scheffler and Brian Harman, this year’s Open winner at Royal Liverpool who sent a congratulatory video message to the champion.

“It really hasn't sunk in yet,” said Kim, who was playing in his third U.S. Junior Amateur but had not made match play in his previous two. “Especially coming into this week, I hadn't made a cut at a USGA event, but to not only make the cut but win all six of my matches, especially against all these great competitors, it just means the world.

“It's a huge stepping-stone. Just to have my name like right next to those guys, those big guys, it just means if they can do it, I can do it. I'm right on track, so I've just got to keep doing what I'm doing and hopefully I'll get there one day.”

The championship match of the 75th edition of the Junior Amateur was extended a day due to multiple storms on Saturday, one of which delayed the start of the final by 3½ hours. Play was eventually halted for the day at 5:36 p.m. EDT with Kim holding a 1-up lead thru 25 holes.

It was the first time in 21 years that the U.S. Junior Amateur finished a day later than scheduled.

After Kim completes his freshman season with the Blue Devils next spring, he’ll have a 76-minute drive from campus to Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2 in the Village of Pinehurst for the 2024 U.S. Open, an exemption he receives as winner of the U.S. Junior Amateur.

He’s also the lowest-seeded player (No. 52 from stroke play) to win the title since Charlie Beljian (56) in 2002 at the Atlanta Athletic Club, in Johns Creek, Ga.

Both players are exempt into next month’s U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills Country Club in suburban Denver.

Bai, 17, of New Zealand, was hoping for that bid to Pinehurst, where his idol, Michael Campbell, captured the 2005 U.S. Open 10 months before he was born. Danny Lee, a Korean-born player who represents New Zealand, also won the 2008 U.S. Amateur at Pinehurst. Former world No. 1 amateur and professional Lydia Ko remains the last Kiwi to claim a USGA title (2012 U.S. Women’s Amateur).

“Just try and take the positives,” said Bai of his week in South Carolina. “I played really well. It really boosted my confidence going to tournaments in the future. Just helps me know that I can compete at the top level. Just want to say really congratulations to Bryan. He's a great player and even better person.” 

More than an inch of rain fell on the property on Saturday, but the maintenance staff, led by superintendent Joey Franco, got the Ralston Creek Course in impeccable condition for the resumption of play for the 8 a.m. restart on Sunday.

Bai, competing in his second U.S. Junior Amateur, wasted no time regaining the lead by winning Nos. 26 and 27, converting from 8 feet for birdie on the former and registering a two-putt par on the latter, a 245-yard, par-3.

Two holes later, Kim tied the match by making a 9-foot birdie and then took a 1-up lead on No. 30 by getting up and down for par. Bai had a chance to tie the hole but lipped out a 5-footer to complete a disappointing three-putt green.

But after the two tied the 31st hole, Kim squared the match with a brilliant 60-degree wedge pitch from rough short and right of the 284-yard, par-4 32nd green to 2 feet for a conceded birdie. Kim was unable to match the 3 after finding a greenside bunker off the tee.

Kim eventually took the lead for good by stuffing a 113-yard gap-wedge approach to 7 feet on the 376-yard, par-4 35th hole. After Bai missed his long birdie try, Kim calmly converted his putt.

“I had a pretty good number,” said Kim of the shot. “I just really felt comfortable with those shots all week, those little knock-down wedges. Just hit three good shots, and that's what you need to do to make a birdie. Felt really good.”

At the 557-yard, par-5 closing hole, Bai, needing a birdie to force extra holes, went for the green in two with a 3-wood. But he pushed the 250-yard shot well right and sent his third shot over the green. He would eventually concede Kim’s birdie and the match.

“Bryan is not going to make anything less than a par,” said Bai of his decision on the final hole. “He could even make birdie, so I thought I just had to give it a shot, try and get on the green, have a putt for eagle or get it close [for a birdie chance].”

With the usual match-play concessions, Kim posted a 7-under total of 137 (68-69) on the 7,184-yard, par-72 layout, while Bai registered 4-under 140 (67-73).

What Champion Receives

• A gold medal
• Custody of the U.S. Junior Amateur Trophy for one year
• Exemptions into al future U.S. Junior Amateurs, if age-eligible
• Exemption into the 2024 U.S. Open Championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.
• Exemptions into the 2023 U.S. Amateur Championship at Cherry Hills Country Club, in Cherry Hills Village, Colo., and 2024 U.S. Amateur Championship at Hazeltine National Golf Club, in Chaska, Minn.

Notable

• The 76th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship will take place at Oakland Hills Country Club, in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., July 22-27. Oakland Hills has previously hosted six U.S. Opens (Ben Hogan won in 1951), three PGA Championships, a Ryder Cup, two U.S. Senior Opens (won by Arnold Palmer and Jack Nicklaus), a U.S. Amateur and a U.S. Women’s Amateur. The famous South Course recently underwent a restoration by Gil Hanse.
  
  
• Daniel Island Club will again be in the national spotlight in three years when the 2026 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball is contested at the facility.
  
  
• Runner-up Joshua Bai received a silver medal, plus an exemption into next month’s U.S. Amateur. He also is exempt into the 2024 U.S. Junior Amateur, given that he turns 18 next April.
  
  
• Bryan Kim wasn’t the only Blue Devil to have a memorable Sunday in golf. Duke alum Celine Boutier captured the Amundi Evian Championship in her native France to claim her first major championship.
  
  
• In addition to Kim and Jason Widener, six Blue Devil females have won USGA titles: Brittany Lang (2016 U.S. Women’s Open), Virada Niripathpongporn (2003 U.S. Women's Amateur),  Amanda Blumenherst (2008 U.S. Women’s Amateur), Erica Shepherd (2017 U.S. Girls’ Junior and 2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball), Megan Furtney (2019 U.S. Women’s Amateur Four-Ball) and Sarah Lebrun Ingram (1991, 1993 and 1994 U.S. Women's Mid-Amateur).
  
  
• Bai and Kim became friendly during last year’s Junior Presidents Cup in Charlotte, N.C. Each went 1-2 in the two-day event that the USA won over the International side, 13-11. The two did not face each other in singles, foursomes or four-ball.
  
  
• Bai had a couple of 2023 U.S. Junior Amateur competitors rooting him on in the final. Zackary Swanwick and Robby Turnbull, compatriots from New Zealand, and Australia’s Harry Takis were among the gallery, along with Swanwick’s family. Bai’s father, Jeff, and mother, Lena Li, also made the trip.
  
  
• Bai is collecting quite a lot of frequent-flier miles this summer. In addition to coming to the U.S., he will fly to Spain for next week’s Bonallack Trophy, a Ryder Cup-style competition between Asia-Pacific and Europe that is named for five-time British Amateur champion and former R&A secretary Michael Bonallack. The three-day event goes from Aug. 3-5. Bai will then head back to the U.S. to play in the U.S. Amateur at Cherry Hills before returning to New Zealand. Also on the Asia-Pacific team is 2023 U.S. Amateur Four-Ball champion Sampson Zheng, of the People’s Republic of China, a current member of the University of California-Berkeley golf team.
  
  
• The next event for Kim will be this week’s Western Amateur at North Shore Country Club in Glenview, Ill.
  
  
• Before being introduced to golf at age 10, Kim was a competitive swimmer in his native state of Maryland. The state has produced a number of elite swimmers, including Olympic stalwarts Michael Phelps and Katie Ledecky.
  
  
• Duke head coach Jamie Green and Blue Devils assistant coach Bob Heintz came to support Kim, an incoming freshman. Green made the 4-plus hour drive from the Raleigh-Durham area to Daniel Island Club on Sunday morning. Kim’s parents, Charles and Changsook Kim, were also in attendance, along with his swing coach, Bernie Najar, and a couple of friends from Maryland.
  
  
• Both finalists were exempt into the field by being among the top 85 age-eligible points leaders in the World Amateur Golf Ranking/WAGR®. Bai is No. 267 in the latest WAGR, while Kim is 443.
  
  
• Bai switched caddies after 19 holes of the final when Eric Strom began to struggle with his ailing hamstring. Bai went back to his original caddie for the week, George Kornegay, whom he worked with at last year’s Junior Presidents Cup. Strom, the son of former NBA referee and Hall-of-Famer Earl Strom, was brought in when Kornegay fell ill earlier in the week. Kim used Justin Nogay for the entire week.
  
  
• Veteran USGA Rules officials Jim Moriarty and Phil Miller served as the referees for the morning and afternoon rounds, respectively. Another longtime Rules official, Bryan Lewis, who joined the USGA Executive Committee in February, finished refereeing the match on Sunday.

Quotable

“Not really. We got a good dinner up in the clubhouse last night and these past few days Daniel Island has been really nice. They've treated us so good with the food and the hospitality. Had a good breakfast this morning, so felt pretty good.” – Bryan Kim on returning to finish the match on Sunday

“He's such a fierce competitor. I knew he was going to give me a really big fight. I felt like I had to keep up with him, especially early on. He went on a few big runs throughout the match. I felt like I'm just as good, and if I do what I do, it'll be a great match.” – Kim on his opponent

“It's been amazing. When I first started golf at Argyle Country Club in 2016, Justin was the assistant pro there, so I've known him ever since I started golf, so he's been there from the start. He's helped me a few times with my fitness stuff, giving me workouts and stuff like that, and he came down to Charleston to start his own business. I knew he was here, hit him up, and he's been really good this week.” – Kim on his caddie for the week, Justin Nogay

“I'm glad we had that [weather] break in between to try and have that momentum switch. It did happen, but Bryan was just so solid. He kept the heat on, and it was tough to keep up.” – Joshua Bai

“It was crazy out there. Almost every single hole one of us won the hole. Just trying to stay focused, just keep doing what I've been doing.” – Bai

David Shefter is a senior staff writer for the USGA. Email him at dshefter@usga.org.