Maelynn Kim Wins Women’s Western Amateur Championship Title

ROYAL OAK, Mich. – University of Houston Women's Golf junior Maelynn Kim claimed the title at the Women's Western Amateur Championship with a 1 up win over Elizabeth Rudisill in the title match at Red Run Golf Club on Saturday morning.

In title match, Kim jumped out to a 2 up lead against Rudisill through the first four holes after making pars on Nos. 3-4 and was never tied again in the match. She built a 3 up advantage with a par on No. 13 and, after losing No. 14, regained her three-hole lead with another par at No. 15.

Rudisill won Nos. 16-17 to force the final hole, but both players made birdie at No. 18 to clinch the title for Kim, whose mother,

This was only the latest success for the Cougars during the summer season.

With Saturday's title, Kim won her second tournament of the summer season. In June, she captured medalist honors at the Southern Amateur Championship with a 2&1 win over Alise Knudson at Squire Creek Country Club in Choudrant, La.

In mid-June, incoming freshman Sadie Adams won the English Stroke Play Championship crown with a score of 6-under 286 at Alwoodley Golf Club in Leeds, England.

Kim entered match play as the No. 23 seed after posting a score of even-par 144 through 36 holes of stroke play, thanks to a 69 in the First Round.

Maelynn Kim, Women's Western Amateur Championship Title Match, Trophy, Medal

In the Round of 32, she rallied from 3 down through 14 against Macy Pate and won three of the last four holes to force extra play before prevailing on the fourth playoff hole. She followed that with a 3 up win over Kary Hollenbaugh in the Round of 16 to advance to Friday's Quarterfinals.

With her Quarterfinal match against Elise Lee halved through 17, Kim made birdie on the the par-5 18^th hole to advance to the Semifinals. There, she rallied from two down through 11 to win four straight holes and take a 2&1 win over Emma Schimpf to set up Saturday's Championship Match.

Maelynn Kim, Women's Western Amateur Championship Title Match, Mother, Hug

ABOUT MAELYNN KIM
Playing as a sophomore during the 2024-25 season, Kim competed in all 11 team-scoring events for Carolyn Macow Leatherwood Head Coach Lydia Lasprilla's Cougars.

The Seven Lakes High School product earned two Top-10 finishes with five Top-20 showings. Kim finished second among the Cougars with 16 rounds of par or better, including five in the 60s, and stood fourth on the team with a 73.13 scoring average.

She earned a season-best sixth-place finish at the Riverbend Intercollegiate with a score of 218 at Riverbend Country Club in Sugar Land, Texas, on March 10-11 to help lead the Cougars to the team championship. That was one of a school-record-tying three team tournament crowns in 2024-25.

Kim also fired back-to-back 69s to tie for 11^th at 2-under 138 and lead Houston to the team title at the Schooner Fall Classic at Belmar Golf Club in Norman, Okla., on Sept. 21-23.

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