I’m just too giddy for words. Another Hawaiian teenager, Miss Kimberly Kim from Hilo, has qualified for the finals of the Women’s am. She faces a marauding German in Katharina Schallenberg, so she’ll need to be on top of her game to win the 36-hole marathon on Sunday.

Neither Kim Kim nor Schallenber was heralded as a contender when the event began. Both qualified within seven strokes of the medalist (KatSchall at 143, and Kim Kim at 146), so they certainly have not astonished, say, as much as a Leah Wigger (the 64th qualifier) might have.

The bigger names went out fairly early. Isabelle Lendl (Ivan’s daughter) lost in round one after qualifying 9th. Ya-Ni Tseng, who dusted Wie a few years back in the Pub Links final, also lost in round one. Most of the Curtis Cup team on both sides was gone early. Only Stacy Lewis of the US side made it through to the semis, where she barely lost to Schallenberg on the 19th hole.

If we take a look at Kim Kim’s victims, they reveal an interesting pattern. In round one, she dusted New York’s finest, Megan Grehan, by a 2 and 1 margin. Round two brought a 1-up victory over Lauren Espinosa of Texas. Allison Whitaker of Australia was a game opponent in round three, falling to Kim-Squared, 3 and 2. Eileen Vargas of the Republic of Colombia dropped next, by a 3 and 1 margin in the quarters. Lindy Duncan of Florida was the latest victim, a 1-down loser in the semis. What is the pattern you ask? Actually, there is none. I just wanted to keep you on pins and needles.

On Sunday, Schallenber and my new favorite nickname, Kim Kim, will do battle. The major networks will not pay lots of attention, but the winner will hoist a gold trophy and receive a number of exemptions and opportunities. Will either one succeed professionally? Probably not. However, the triumph will be an unforgettable one.

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