BREMERTON, Wash. — Kaua'i's Casey Watabu put on a masterful performance in winning the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship yesterday and he'll receive a prize to match.

Watabu, a 22-year-old from Kapa'a, defeated Anthony Kim of Traverse City, Mich., 4 and 3, in the 36-hole match-play final at Gold Mountain Golf Club.

The U.S. Public Links champion traditionally receives an invitation to one of golf's premier events — the Masters.

"Knowing that I'm going to play in it is crazy. It's crazy," Watabu said. "I'm going to have a lot of fun."

Playing before his parents who traveled overnight from Kaua'i to see the final, Watabu never trailed against Kim and became the fifth player from Hawai'i to win the U.S. Public Links.

"I guess I saved my best golf for last," Watabu said. "I can't believe how well I played today.

"It's unbelievable. I knew I could play, and sooner or later it would be my time. I just kept on being patient. It took a while, but it's well worth it."

Watabu received the James D. Standish Jr. Cup for his victory.

In the first nine holes in the morning, Watabu took a 1-up lead by winning the par-3 fifth hole. On the back nine, he won the 12th, 13th, 16th and 18th holes to go 5-up.

"My strategy was, don't give him any holes," Watabu said. "Just keep on making pars, make him make the birdies and win the holes."

Said Kim: "He played very good golf. Hit the right shots at the right time and made the putts when he needed to. He didn't back down."

In the afternoon, Watabu birdied the 19th and 20th holes for a 7-up lead, but Kim then began to chip away.

Kim got to 4-down after birdies on the 22nd, 24th and 25th holes. He then sank an 18-foot birdie putt on No. 10 (the 28th hole), igniting the crowd with a fist pump. But Watabu answered at No. 10, draining a pivotal 12-footer for birdie to halve the hole.

"Momentum is a huge thing in match play," Watabu said. "He kind of had the momentum, but I knew if I made that putt, the momentum could go on my side no matter what."

Watabu's birdie on the par-5 No. 11 gave him a 5-up lead.

The players halved the next two holes to dormie match with Watabu 5-up with five holes remaining.

"The morning really cost me," Kim said. "Once you get that far down it's pretty hard to come back."

Kim cut his deficit to 4 with a birdie on the 32nd hole, but they halved the 33rd hole with par, giving Watabu the victory with three holes to go.

Kim, a 21-year-old All-America golfer at the University of Oklahoma, reached the semifinals last year. He said he plans to turn professional after the U.S. Amateur next month.

The U.S. Publinx winner receives an invitation to the Masters as long as the player remains an amateur. The 2007 Masters is scheduled for April 5 to 8 at Augusta (Ga.) National Golf Club.

"That's the one tournament I never ever missed," Watabu said. "It's the tournament you watch from when it first gets on TV until the end."

Watabu's parents, Victor and Iris, caught a redeye flight Friday from Hawai'i.

"I told them (Friday) night, 'You guys would have a lot of fun out here,' " Watabu said.

Watabu, a 2001 Kaua'i High School graduate, was playing in his third U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship. He missed the cut in stroke play in 2000 and 2004.

In May, Watabu won the NCAA West Regional individual title as a senior at the University of Nevada.

Watabu's former Wolf Pack teammate, John Cassidy, who lost earlier in match play, was his caddie the past two days.

"John kept me in the game," Watabu said. "He kept me composed. He made sure that I committed to every shot."

The U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship is one of 13 national championships conducted each year by the United States Golf Association.

A total of 4,739 amateurs entered this year's U.S. Public Links; 155 advanced to play at Bremerton. After two rounds of stroke play, the top 64 golfers advanced to match play.

Last month, Kimberly Kim, a former Hilo resident, was runner-up in the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links at Pueblo, Colo.

Information from Beth Murrison of the USGA and The Associated Press was used in this report.