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Junior golfer wins NMC Foundation Open tourney
Jun Suk Kim, first place in the 11th Annual NMC Foundation Open Golf Tournament, poses with NMC Foundation president Joe Santos, right, during the event’s awards ceremony Saturday at the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort. (NMC)
Thirteen-year-old Jun Suk Kim defeated 46 other golfers in the double-peoria competition after carding a net 70 on the west course of the Kagman golf facility. The 6-handicapper shot a 39 on the front nine and a 37 on the back for a gross 76, the fourth best in the field. The Saipan International School student’s net 70 gave him a close win over veteran Eddie Peter, who recorded a net 70.2 built on a 41 and 40 on the front and back nines, respectively. The runner-up had a gross 81 and a handicap of 10.8.
Kim, Peter, and the No. 3 to 5 finishers in the weekend competition received prizes and certificates during the awards ceremony at The Range. Japanese Toshiku Mori, Rick Kautz, and the returning Joe “Kamizake” Camacho rounded out the Top 5.
Mori showed consistency in the one-day tournament with his identical 5-over par 37 on both nines with deducting his 3.5 handicap from his gross score of 74, he ended up with a third-best net 70. 4. Kautz, which had an 8.4 handicap, registered a net 71.6, as he fired 40s on both nines for a gross 80. Camacho, who won several tournaments on Saipan and represented the CNMI in off-island tournaments before leaving the island about seven years ago, nailed a 72.6. The 2.4-handicapper posted a 37 in the first nine holes and finished the last nine with a 38 for the third-best gross score of 75.
J.J. Atalig missed the Top 5, but had the best gross score in the tournament with an impressive 1-over par 73. He tallied a 1-over par 37 on the front nine and had an even par 36 on the back and with his 0 handicap, he settled for a net 73 and sixth place.
Completing the Top 10 were Ray Villagomez (net 73.4), Hyun Son (73.5), Daniel Shen Kang (73.8), and Jeff Taylor (74).
