Kim dethrones Lee in HANMI Golf Classic

Championship Flight winner Gi Yeong Kim, center, and runner-up Geon Ju Lee, left, are joined by Hyatt Regency Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa during the awards ceremony for the 13th Annual HANMI Charity Golf Classic Tournament last Saturday at Pacific Islands Club. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Kim shot a 2-over par 74 to prevail against eight other golfers entered in the centerpiece flight. He won by only one stroke against Lee, who prevailed in the previous two editions of the annual competition, downing Kim in 2012 and Joung Hoon Park and Jeff Taylor in a tiebreak last year.

This year’s winner was decided on the back nine with Kim having a 2-over par 38 against the 4-over par 40 of Lee, who took a shaky one-stroke lead after completing the front nine with a 1-under par 35 against the former’s even par 36.

With their Top 2 finish, Kim and Lee received trophies and other prizes during the awards ceremony at the Pacific Islands Club last Saturday. Joining them in the podium was third placer Park, who also carded a 3-over par 75, but lost in the tiebreak to Lee.

J.J. Atalig also registered a 3-over par 75, but dropped to fourth in the tiebreak. Other Championship Flight participants were Seung Woo Kang (76) Sung Bag Jun (77), Adam Hardwicke (78), Taylor (78), and William Retardo (79).

Meanwhile, five other golfers were named champions in their respective flights. The list includes A Flight’s Shi Feng Jin, B’s Dong Young Lee, C’s Sung Nam Park, Senior’s Toshiyuki Mori, and Ladies Sherlyn Jones.

Jones beat Yong Sook Kwonin a tiebreak after both players registered a net 71. The two golfers also had similar gross scores of 83 with Jones recording a 43 and 40 on the front and back nines, respectively, and Sook tallying a 44 and 39. Jeong Yoon Kim rounded out the Top 3 with her net 71.2. Kim had the gross score in the 17-player Ladies Flight with her impressive 2-under par 70 (even par 36 on the front and 2-under par 34 on the back nine).

In the A Flight, Jin won by seven strokes against Tsukasa Kuribayashi and Jun Sik Kim, who had identical gross scores of 80. Jin fired a 39 in the first nine holes and finished strong with a 2-over par 34 in the last nine for a 1-over par 73. Kim had 40 on both nines, while Kuribayashi logged 43 and 37.

In the B Flight, Dong Young recorded a 2-over par 74 for a three-shot win against Soon Ho Yang and Medson Ladore, who had similar gross scores of 77. Yang won the tiebreak against Ladore to take runner-up honors.

In the C Flight, Sung Nam Park also earned a three-stroke victory over Namki Kim, as the former had a gross score of 80 (40 and 40) against the 83 (41 and 42) of the latter. Frank Rosario completed the Top 3 with a gross 89, built from a 43 on the front nine and 46 on the back.

In the Senior Flight, it was a close flight among the Top 3 finishers with Mori earning a 5-over par 77 to edge former Superior Court presiding judge Edward Manibusan. Manibusan’s 6-over par 78 nipped the 79 of third placer Dae Young Yoon.

Meanwhile, last Saturday’s tournament lured 144 golfers, surpassing last year’s turnout (133).

“We’re very grateful for the overwhelming support of the players and our sponsors in making this year’s tournament a success,” tournament chairman Steve Balakrishnan said in a press statement sent to Saipan Tribune yesterday.