USGA

Californian Delasin Captures
U.S. Women's Amateur Title

ASHEVILLE, N.C. - Dorothy Delasin, 18, of Daly City, Calif., reeled off ten birdies in 33 holes to win the 99th United States Women's Amateur with a 4 and 3 victory over Jimin Kang, 19, of Edmonds, Wash., at the 6,202-yard, par 72 Biltmore Forest Country Club.

Delasin closed out the scheduled 36-hole final match on the 33rd hole, a 191-yard par 3. She was dormie when she hit a 7-wood to within 15 feet of the hole and two-putted for a par. Kang missed her 13-foot putt for birdie and Delasin became the champion.

Delasin became only the fifth player in history to have captured the U.S. Girls' Junior and the U.S. Women's Amateur. She won the Girls' Junior in 1996.

The victory, Delasin said, "(Means) everything. It doesn't get any better than this. This is like winning the lottery. I'm just happy. I can't explain it. You've just got to trust me on that." Sporting her trademark long pants, baseball cap and sunglasses, Delasin said she was unaffected by the estimated 3,200 spectators.

"I never noticed them," she said. "After I won I looked around and thought, 'Look at all these people.' "

When informed that her score of 67 on the morning round, with the usual match play concessions, was a record for a Women's Amateur final, Delasin said, "I guess because it was Jimin. She made me play - she made me do it."

Delasin was 2-under par in the afternoon's 15 holes.

Kang displayed great accuracy from the tee, missing only one fairway in the 33 holes of the match, but said her putting "has been totally messed up."

Of Delasin, Kang said, "She made so many birdies. Seven under par? Give me a break. She was so awesome. Like every single putt she made, I was like, 'Wow!' I asked her to give me some lessons."

Delasin had 27 putts in the morning round, while Kang had 32. The two were closer in the afternoon, Delasin with 24 putts and Kang with 25.

Following Delasin's win, her father Sonny, who was her caddie throughout the championship, yelled and swept her into his arms.

"I thought he was just going to give me a high-five," said Dorothy. "Having him here is sharing it, sharing the moment."

Delasin took a 2-up lead over Kang during the first 18 holes of the match. She won the first hole with a par, and the third and fourth holes with birdies to go 3 up.

On the 498-yard, par-5 seventh hole, Kang made a curling 38-foot putt for an eagle while Delasin birdied, and Delasin's lead dropped to 2 up. Delasin birdied the ninth from 15 feet to regain her 3-up lead.

On the back nine, Kang won the 15th hole with a par when Delasin bogeyed. Delasin hit a towering 5-wood second shot to the 415-yard, par 4 17th hole, and made the six-foot birdie putt to move back into a 3-up lead.

Delasin bogeyed the 18th and Kang parred to pull to within two holes, but Delasin's power, pin-point iron shots and silky putting stroke would prevail in the afternoon.

After receiving the Robert Cox Cup, the trophy for the Women's Amateur Champion, Delasin said, "I feel honored to put my name with the great players of all time. It's just an honor. I didn't expect to put my name there; and I did, and it's just unbelievable."

The Women's Amateur is one of 13 national championships conducted by the United States Golf Association, of which 10 are strictly for amateurs.

Final results of the 99th U.S. Women's Amateur Championship at the 6,202-yard, par 72 Biltmore Forest Country Club.

FINAL
Dorothy Delasin, Daly City, Calif., def. Jimin Kang, Edmonds, Wash., 4 and 3.