When Bev Kim turned 50 in 1996, becoming eligible for the HSWGA Senior Women’s Championship, she finished in a tie for first with Yoshiko Koyama.
Kim, a future Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer — to say nothing of future grandmother — was running the tournament. It was her call as to how the tie would be broken.
"I was 50 and she was … much more than 50," recalled Kim of Koyama. "I said to myself, ‘Bev you have time.’ I figured sooner or later I’d get it. This is much later."
All the more to appreciate.
Kim won Monday’s 37th annual Senior Women’s Championship by making four birdies and hitting many, many fairways. Her winning score of 1-over-par 73 at Leilehua was five better than anybody else.
It leaves her four senior titles behind Makoto Kamio, who won a record five times between 1988 and ’97. Mona Kim also won five senior championships.
Kim’s winning score was only four higher than her age, which is what this tournament’s real challenge has come to be — along with just how many 80-somethings will show up.
Four years ago, 17 women in their 80s played. This year there were "only" seven, including 1985 senior champ Annette Kono. But there was also Elaine Lee and Margaret Miyasaki, both aging like fine 92-year-old wine.
Kim, who has now — finally — won pretty much everything worth winning in Hawaii, started golfing when she was 12. To play for 80 years, with one of her three grandkids on the bag, would be a dream come true.
Her dad, Paul, played into his 90s. At 96, he still rides around the course because the game grabbed him, just as it has captured Lee and Miyasaki.
"They love the game as far as I can sense," Kim says. "They’re not here to really beat anybody. They’re here because they love the game."
Championship Flight, for those 80-plus, was won by 81-year-old Grace Wilson, who shot 94. She started son Dean in the game when he was 13.
That was more than $10 million ago.
He won once on the PGA Tour after capturing six tournaments and Rookie of the Year honors in Japan. He also shared one memorable week with Annika Sorenstam, when he was her playing partner at the 2003 Colonial.
His mom knew he could handle it. Dean’s Castle High golf team had three girls on it and all were very successful juniors — Jan Shiroma, Laurie Chinen and Annette Kealoha.
"They all beat him," Grace grins.
Her son kept coming back for more, playing Pali relentlessly. "We couldn’t get him off the golf course," Grace says.
Dean turned 45 while back to win last year’s Hawaii State Open. He has until 50 to ponder his own senior future. He plays out of San Diego Country Club now, where he helps Punahou alum Alex Ching work on his game for the PGA Tour’s China Series.
"It’s a different ballgame for him," Grace says. "He’s got four more years before the senior tour and he’d have to qualify. His good friend Grant Waite just qualified so he seems to have a lot more interest in it now."
Grace Wilson wasn’t the only proud golf mom at Leilehua. Mira Jang had her first hole-in-one, at Leilehua’s No. 17, and was third low net in D (ages 50-58) Flight.
Her daughter Anna won the 2007 State High School Championship and went on to an all-Ivy League career at Princeton and a year on the Symetra Tour.
Anna is home now, "getting too little sleep" according to her mom, while she studies at the the University of Hawaii’s William S. Richardson School of Law.
Anna began beating her mom on the golf course when she was 13. She doesn’t have time to practice now, probably for the first time since way before 13. But, her mom says, Anna is interested in playing again.
Maybe she can work on her game until she qualifies for this tournament, in about 25 years. Even better, maybe she will be playing in Championship Flight in 70 years, like Miyasaki and Lee.
"She would be really healthy and happy," said her mom, "if she continued to play until then."
Paula Moracco, a 26-handicapper, won the overall low net championship with a 66.
