Kiwi Bai Breezes into US Junior Amateur Final

Charleston, South Carolina, United States: Joshua Bai will be bidding to join an elite list of New Zealand golfers when he contests Saturday's 36-hole final at the 75th US Junior Amateur Championship.

Following his two-up quarter-final victory over China Fang Zeqian, 17-year-old Bai saw off the challenge of American Billy Davis, 3&1, in the semi-finals on Friday.

His reward is a place in the final against 18-year-old American Bryan Kim, at the par-72, 7,262-yard Daniel Island Club (Ralston Creek Course).

Bai, 267th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking (WAGR), is attempting to become just the fourth New Zealander to win a USGA championship, joining Michael Campbell, Danny Lee and Lydia Ko.

Bai, a match play qualifier in his first Junior Amateur last year at Bandon Dunes, constructed a commanding five-up margin with birdies on 11 and 12 in his semi-final.

He holed a 25-footer from across the green and followed with a precise four-iron to the 234-yard, par-three 12th. From there, Davis made a late run with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 before Bai closed out the match with an approach shot to five feet on 17. His birdie was conceded when Davis failed to hole a chip from the fringe.

“It’s really cool,” said Bai about playing for a national championship and a 2024 US Open exemption. “Just thinking about how Michael Campbell won at Pinehurst, and how cool it to be to follow in his footsteps and try to be there. It would mean a lot.”

In his quarter-final match against 18-year-old Fang, Bai won the last three holes. After a par won 16, he nearly drove the 17th green, leading to a conceded birdie. His 97-yard third shot on the par-five 18th hole nestled to 12 feet, which he didn’t have to putt after Fang missed his birdie attempt.

“I just stayed patient,” said Bai, who rallied from four-down and two-down in his previous two matches.

“Did the same thing, kept hitting fairways, kept hitting greens, put the pressure on my opponent. I just took the opportunities and managed to get it done,” added the Kiwi who will represent the Asia-Pacific at next week’s Bonallack Trophy against Europe in Spain.

Kim, who did not qualify for match play in his previous two US Junior Amateur appearances, defeated Will Hartman 2&1, in the semi-finals.

“I didn't even imagine this last year after missing the cut, and the year before, but I knew my game this year was in a good spot,” said Kim, who will be a freshman at Duke University next month.

“I didn’t have the tournament results that I wanted earlier this summer, but I knew I was coming around, just working a lot on my game, and I felt like I was kind of due to play some good golf, so hopefully I can keep it up and maybe bring home the title.”

Kim, 443rd in the WAGR, made a short birdie putt on the drivable par-four eighth and sank a left-to-right breaking 15-footer for another birdie on the following hole to build a three-up lead. He held that the rest of the way against his East team-mate from the recent American Junior Golf Association’s Wyndham Cup.

In the morning quarter-finals, Kim birdied the last two holes to overcome 16-year-old Californian Edan Cui, one-up. He got up-and-down from a greenside bunker on the drivable, 303-yard, par-four 17th and then delivered a 128-yard gap wedge on 18 to within 11 feet to set up the winning putt.