Kamiak golfer wins AJGA tourney
Published 10:13 pm Saturday, August 14, 2010
Golfer Seo Hee Moon added another trophy to her already-impressive collection.
Moon, a senior-to-be at Kamiak High School, won the American Junior Golf Association Junior tournament Thursday at Wenatchee Golf &Country Club. Moon topped the 27-girl field with a 3-over-par score of 219 in the 54-hole, stroke-play event.
It was Moon’s second AJGA tournament victory. She won the Coca-Cola Junior Championship two years ago in Michigan.
How did her latest triumph compare?
“It’s always special to win in your home state,” Moon said Friday.
Moon’s dad and her 13-year-old brother watched her win this week. Afterward, Moon praised her biggest supporter.
“My dad is a huge part of my golf career,” Moon told the AJGA. “He started me golfing at age 3 and even during the toughest times he has still supported me. (It) was kind of a win for both of us.”
Moon, who led at the end of each round, fired rounds of 70, 74 and 75. She beat runner-up Katrina Hegge of Seattle by four strokes. Hegge shot 223 (76-71-76 ).
Fueled by an excellent short game, Moon recorded a 2-under 70 in Round 1. It was her first subpar round in an AJGA event.
Moon struggled early in the final round, tallying five bogeys and one birdie on the front nine and scoring a 4-over-par 40. But she improved on the back nine to secure AJGA win No. 2.
The AJGA junior tournaments included boys and girls ages 12-18 from 12 states and Canada. Macgregor Hoobery of Santa Maria, Calif., won the boys event.
Moon has been one of the state’s elite high school golfers for three years. In May, she placed second at the Class 4A girls state championships in Pasco. Moon won the Class 4A individual title as a freshman in 2007 and tied for second in 2008.
Asked what she hopes to achieve in her senior season, Moon said, “It would be nice to win state again. I’ve come close these past few years after freshman year, but not quite.”
Several NCAA Division I golf coaches have shown interest in Moon. The University of Washington and Washington State University have offered full scholarships, she said.
But Moon would prefer to leave her home state. She said Yale University, the University of Pennsylvania, Texas A&M University and the University of California Berkeley are her top four choices.
Mike Cane: mcane@heraldnet.com. Check out the prep sports blog Double Team at cmg-northwest2.go-vip.net/heraldnet/doubleteam.
