Park, Kaneko reach Girls' Junior final

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07/28/2007 - Lakewood, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kristen Park and Ayaka Kaneko both made birdies at the 18th hole Friday to win their semifinal matches at the U.S. Girls' Junior.

Park beat Stephanie Kono, 2-up, and Kaneko edged Michelle Shin, 1-up, to reach Saturday's 36-hole final.

"I'm really happy that I made it this far," said Park, 14, who is playing in her first Girls' Junior. "I didn't really expect it to happen. I just came here for good experience."

Kono took the first hole in their match, but it was the only lead she would hold. Park birdied the next hole to square the match, then moved ahead for the first time with a par at the fourth.

Park led by as many as 3-up after making birdie at No. 13, but didn't seal the win until her birdie at the 18th. She preserved a slim lead by making a nine- foot putt to save par at the 17th.

"If I was telling myself that if I missed [the putt] it was going to be the end of the world, then I probably couldn't make it," said Park. "I just relaxed and didn't think about it and just hit the ball."

Kaneko, 17, never trailed against Shin, taking the early lead with a birdie at the second hole. The match was squared by Shin three times after that -- they were, in fact, all square heading to the 17th hole after Shin won the 16th with a birdie.

Like Park, Kaneko clinched the win with a birdie at Tacoma Country and Golf Club's par-five closing hole. It came on a 20-foot putt.

"That last putt, it was miracle I guess," said Kaneko, who missed the cut at last year's U.S. Women's Open.

Park qualified 12 shots better than Kaneko after the second round of stroke play on Tuesday, and Kaneko has had a tougher road to the final.

Among her four previous match-play wins prior to Friday, Kaneko squeezed out a 1-up victory over Sue Kim in 24 holes in the quarterfinals on Thursday -- the longest quarterfinal match in Girls' Junior history.

She also needed to beat U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion Mina Harigae in the third round.

"This is my first time [making] it to the finals, so I am really excited. I just want to enjoy tomorrow," said Kaneko.

Not that Park has had an easy road to the final.

She needed extra holes in two of her wins, including a 1-up victory over Haley Sanders in 19 holes on Thursday. Park played fewer than 16 holes just once, in a 4 & 3 win in the first round Wednesday.

All in her first experience with match play.

"I knew I could compete against these people," she said.

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