WENTZVILLE • For most golfers, the round posted by Fort Zumwalt South's Amanda Kim on Wednesday would be a lifelong memory. But Kim makes a habit out of turning the extraordinary into the ordinary.
Kim, a freshman, shot a 77 at the par-72 Bear Creek course to win the Class 2 Sectional 2 tournament. Winning is nothing new to Kim, who has finished first in every tournament and match this season except one.
"She doesn't do anything like a regular person," South coach Tom Hale said. "She's a third-degree black belt, she's at the top of her class academically, and she helps her family big time with a special needs sister. You look at all those things on paper and think she's very mature and older, but then you talk to her and realize that she is just 14 years old."
Francis Howell cruised to the team title, posting a 387. Incarnate Word (403) was second, followed by St. Joseph's Academy (404), Parkway West (409) and Marquette (436).
Brittney Jostes (83) and Tess McCorkle (91) led Howell. The Vikings also included Katie Ringhausen (104), Alyssa Ringhausen (109) and Sam Melton (125).
"Considering the speed of the greens, they shot a little better than what I expected under pressure," Howell coach Paul Otto said.
Kim edged Parkway West's Emily Goldenstein by a stroke for medalist honors. Interestingly, the only time Kim failed to win this fall came when Goldenstein got the better of her at the Troy Invitational.
Kim struggled on the front nine, shooting a 5-over 41. But she settled down on the back nine, shooting even-par 36.
The defining moment came on the par-4, 265-yard 18th hole. Kim put her second shot in the bunker in front of the green, but chipped out to save bogey and the tournament championship.
"My dad taught me a lot about bunker shots," Kim said. "I hit it like I usually do and got up."
Kim said she leaned on her taekwondo background to prepare for the tournament.
"Last night, I went to taekwondo and tired myself out," Kim said. "Then I meditated a little, and I was ready to go."
Incarnate Word was the surprise of the tournament. The Red Knights finished third in their district, but since all five of their golfers qualified for the sectional individually, they were included in the team scores.
Incarnate Word's top three -- Elizabeth Francis (108), Mary Kate Stewart (100) and Laura Kohnen (116) -- struggled. But IWA's Amanda Ressel posted an 89 and Sarah Paunicka, playing in the last group of the tournament, posted a 106, which was good enough to edge St. Joe's by a stroke and send the Red Knights to state as a team.
Ressel's round stood out for Incarnate swing coach Bryan Wack, not because of the score but because of the way Ressel handled herself.
"I was so proud of her today because she called a penalty stroke on herself," Wack said. "I told her that if we lost by a stroke, I would still be proud because she played with honor and integrity."
Aside from Kim and Goldenstein, the other individual qualifiers included: Nicole Callahan, Pattonville, 87; Alicia Yn, Hazelwood West, 88; Paige Schwetz, St. Joe's, 92; Kelsey Thompson, St. Joe's, 95; Stephanie Mazzoni, Parkway North, 95; Casey Yocks, Timberland, 95; Christine Byrd, Fort Zumwalt South, 96; Morgan Schettler, Marquette, 98; Reagan Snavely, Timberland, 98; Elizabeth Leath, Parkway Central, 99.
