Kim, Park win LaoLao’s longest drive contest

Korean golfers Ryan Kim and Lucy Park worked their way to first place finishes in LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort’s longest drive challenge Saturday night at the LaoLao Bay driving range.

The 20-year old Kim has been hitting the links for just over five years and was pleasantly surprised with his debut in a long drive competition. Kim defeated 65 other male participants and came into the final round as the top qualifier with a 285-yard bullet.

Seo Dong Hyeok (280 yds) qualified in second place, Carl Hocog (270 yds) advanced in third, Tony Benavente (260 yds) showed in fourth, and Kim Dae Hoon (257 yds) rounded out the fifth and final spot.

Golfers were given five balls in the qualifying round, but were allowed just two swings in the finals.

In the end, Hyeok and Hocog could not manage to safely land a shot within the designated fairway, however Dae Hoon blasted a bomb 262 yards under pressure, while Benavente rested one of his shots 246 yards down range.

Kim was the last to tee up and he needed just one swing to take the nod. He hammered a draw down the right side into the wind edged that ended up along the left edge to beat Dae Hoon’s mark by just a couple yards (264 yards) and get the top prize.

As for Park, she finished heads and shoulders above the 30-player field. The 13-year-old eighth grader from Saipan International School was the heavy favorite coming into the finals after posting a 254-yard smash in the qualifying rounds, 40 yards further than runner-up Chae Bin Kim (211 yds). Lee Young Hi (210 yds), Kim Yang (210 yds) and Da Young Han (209 yds) made up the rest of the finalists.

Yang belted a 209-yard shot, but was one-upped once again by Bin Kim’s 211-yard drive; Young Hi and Young Han scratched in the finals.

In the finals, Park also needed only one try to seize the day and airmailed a 254-yard strike for the win. Notably, although Park recently underwent some lessons through the International Golf Academy, she took up the game of golf less than a year ago.

All first place long ball winners were awarded 15 coupons, each good for a free round at the Kagman course. Runners-up received 10 coupons and the third placers were issued five.

Other winners in the weekend event were Kim Dong Eun, Choi Ki Sun and Kim Dae Hoon, who topped the closest to the pin contests. Event participants were given two chances to sink a 35-yard shot. No one managed to make the shot, but Eun took top honors after resting his shot just eight inches from the cup. He won a Ping putter and pitching wedge. Sun came in second and Hoon finished third and also won pitching wedges from LoaLao Bay pro shop.