Like Wow!

But it quickly shifted back to Schallenberg in a big way. On the par 3 12th, Kim hit her tee shot into the water, and Schallenberg won the hole with a par. She then won the 13th hole with a birdie, then hit her tee shot on 15 to within a few feet for another birdie and another win. Schallenberg was now 5 up on the deflated teen. Could she regroup?

The answer was a stunning 'yes', and she started her battle back on the very next hole when she hit her approach to three feet and made birdie to claim a win. On 17, she murdered her drive, then hit her approach within a few feet for another birdie and another win. She followed that up with a third birdie from short range on 18 and yet another win. Thus, going into the lunch break, she was only two down, a very manageable difference.

During lunch, her caddie, an excellent amateur from the area, suggested she start playing 'smash mouth' golf. He meant, go for everything, and don't back down. As the afternoon 18 holes started, Kim had the momentum, and she managed to close the gap to 1 shot when she won the par 5 4th. But she lost the next hole and fell again to 2 down. The key stretch for her started on the seventh hole, when she made a par on this long par 5 to move to one down, then birdied 8 to tie the match up for the first time since the opening hole.

Schallenberg did not just roll over, however. She managed to tie the next few holes, and as they reached the par 3 12th for the second time this day, they were still all square. Kim Squared did not have fond memories of this hole, having hit it in the water there in the morning session. But this time, she put her tee shot to within ten feet and drained the birdie to take her first lead of the day. She followed that by winning 13 when Schallenberg could not get up and down. But momentum snapped back to Schallenberg when she captured the 14th. Kim now had a tenuous 1 up lead with 4 holes to play.

The four remaining holes were among the most thrilling in recent golf history, as both players did everything they could to claim the title. They played 15 and 16 well, but both wound up with pars. On 17, however, Schallenberg captured an early advantage when she hit the fairway, then put her approach within twelve feet of the hole. Kim put her drive into a fairway bunker, and had an extremely tough second shot to even get it out of there. Kim proceeded to hit a masterful shot just when she needed it most, belying her young age. Her approach bounded onto the green and rolled fifteen feet past the hole. She then drilled the birdie, forcing Schallenberg to make her own birdie putt to continue the match. She did so, and they went to the 18th and perhaps final hole, Kim still holding on to her one shot lead.

On 18, Schallenberg struggled. She hit her drive into a bad spot on the left. Kim hit a long, perfect drive, and her second got her hole high in a collection area. Schallenberg had to hit a nearly flawless shot to get past the trees, over a large hazard, and close to the green. She did so. Kim then hit a nearly perfect pitch four feet past the hole, while Schallenberg was not able to reach the green with her third. But just when you thought that Schallenberg was out, she putted in for birdie from the fringe. It all came down to that four foot birdie putt for Kim: make it and win, miss it, and perhaps lose.

Kim later admitted she was terrified, but make it she did, and all heck broke loose. She jumped joyously into her father's arms, while her caddie seemed beside himself with happiness. Schallenberg, who had had a five up lead at one point, was devastated, losing one up on the final hole. It had been an incredibly dramatic conclusion to an amazing match.

And so, Kimberly Kim, at 14 years of age, become the youngest woman to ever win the US Women's Amateur in its 106 years history. The Korean/Korean American contingent thus captured all three of the USGA's most important amateur events in 2006, and the future looks bright indeed, with all three wins achieved by women/girls under the age of 20. For at least one week, Kim Kim overshadowed another slightly more famous Korean American golfer from Hawaii named Michelle Wie. Can Kim continue her climb to greatness? Time will tell, but for the moment, she has one heck of a cool new trophy to decorate her family's new house in Phoenix, where she has moved to enable her to more easily play mainland golf events. "I was never really a clutch player" Kim said to the press after the win. Surely, with her amazing success this summer, she will have to revise that sentiment!