Amateur Golf

Soobin Kim now knows the meaning behind home course advantage.

Kim, a sophomore for the University of Washington Huskies, notched her second NCAA D1 collegiate win yesterday after firing a tournament total, 11-under par, 205.

What’s interesting though, is that the Coquitlam, B.C. native was playing as an individual at the event after failing to qualify for Washington’s tournament roster after shooting an 82 Saturday in qualifying on the same course.

"It was really devastating to shoot 82 and not make the team,” said the Huskie sophomore. "The coaches were with me after the round comforting me. They still gave me the courage to play - more like they believed in me.”

It may have been a tough lesson to learn for the sophomore who boasted a 73.59 scoring average last year, the second lowest in Huskie history, but it worked.

“They wanted me to learn from this experience and turn it around and just work on my game. [The whole week] made me stronger and I can never exchange this experience for anything."

Kim, who finished T10 at the 2012 Royale Cup Canadian Women’s Amateur, set a new tournament record after firing rounds of 71, 67 and 67. Her final round was highlighted by eight birdies and left her 12 strokes clear of her nearest competitor.

The win also comes almost a year after Kim set a school record, 13-under par, 200 total, after her first NCAA victory at the Stanford Intercollegiate in October of 2011.

Despite Kim not being part of the team conversation this week, the Huskie squad still won the event despite not having their 51st ranked Golfstat collegiate player competing.

Washington posted a tournament total, +22, 886 total and now sit as the no. 2 team in Golfstat standings while Golfweek.com places them at no. 1.

The win ended a 31-year drought for the squad at the event and head coach Mary Lou Mulfur still believes the team can improve.

“They are good,” she said. “But, they also want to get better and they know they can. Some of them didn't have their best days today, but the thing is we have that depth and they pick each other up.”

Kim’s Canadian teammate, Jennifer Yang, also competed this week for the Huskies. The sophomore from Coquitlam, B.C., currently sits 21st in the Golf Stat Cup and finished T-19 at the event after a disappointing final round.

The Huskie Squad is in action next week at the Stanford Intercollegiate in California where Kim notched her first individual victory last season.