Surrey’s Kris Kim has got used to being labelled ‘a precocious talent’ but the 15-year-old proved he is all that and more after a carrying off the British Boys title at Ganton last night.
FORMAT: 36-hole stroke play qualifier / 6 rounds of knockout matchplay
Ever since the Walton Heath player won the England U-14s title by seven shots in 2021, great things have been expected from him.
Since then he has become a regular for England Boys, picked up the Fairhaven Trophy in May but yesterday secured ‘the big one’ in dramatic circumstances at the iconic Yorkshire venue.
Kim, who earns exemptions into Final Qualifying for The Open, The Amateur Championship and the US Junior Boys’ Championship, became champion at the second extra hole after a nip-and-tuck battle with American Alex Papayoanou.
The Texan was ahead for the majority of the match but endured a nightmare finish, three-putting from three feet to hand the title to the English player.
“It feels amazing to win,” said the new champion, who joins the likes of Matt Fitzpatrick, Sergio Garcia and Jose-Maria Olazabal in winning the title.
“After a long day I couldn’t ask for anything more. It was nothing more than two-up I think. It was really tight the whole way through. I think we did well.
“It’s really tough round here. You can’t not strike it well and get round the course. I think it was really crucial not to take driver out that much and keep it in play. I feel really bad for Alex. It’s really unlucky. It was just a really tough putt for me from the front of the green downhill. I didn’t know, it was just guesswork.
“I’m excited for the future. This is just the best you can do as a junior golfer. I’m really happy with it.”
In the 36-hole final, the home player took the early initiative, winning the seocnd with a birdie three, but he slipped up with three bogeys in a row from the fourth and Papayoanou was able to move to two-up by the sixth.
Kim halved the deficit at the eighth but the 18-year-old from Houston produced an excellent eagle three at the next to restore his two-hole cushion.
His opponent achieved his second birdie of the round at the 11th to cut the deficit back to one but Papayoanou responded with a birdie three at the next to double his advantage.
Kim’s birdie three at the 14th took him back to one-down and when his opponent was unable to get up and down from a greenside bunker at the 18th the match was all square going into the afternoon.
Papayoanou won the 19th with a par four but bogeys at the 21st and 22nd proved costly and gave Kim the initiative as he moved to one-up at the 22nd.
The match settled into a pattern around the turn with Kim edging ahead and Papayoanou pegging him back. The American won the 31st with a birdie four to level the match but once again Kim moved ahead with a birdie three to win the next.
At the 35th, Papayoanou played a delightful chip from short of the green to secure his par which was enough to level the match when Kim could only three putt from a similar position.
The match finished all square after 36 holes and went to the 38th where the American looked to be in control when he chipped to three feet from the back of the green.
Kim left his first putt from the front of the green 12 feet short and his attempt from there slipped past the hole. Papayoanou missed his putt for the Championship and then missed the return from three feet to leave Kim as the champion.
In the Girls event, Helen Briem produced a dominant display to become the first German to win the title.
The World No 10, playing in her last junior event, beat 15-year-old Spaniard Martina Navarro 12&10 in yesterday’s final at Ganton.