PUEBLO, Colo. — Kimberly Kim's junior golf resume is as impressive as any.

Unfortunately, the former Big Island resident who now lives in Mesa, Ariz., added runner-up in the Women's Amateur Public Links championship rather than champion.

Tiffany Joh, a 19-year-old at UCLA, beat Kim, a 14-year-old, 6 and 5 yesterday in the final round of the 30th annual WAPL at Walking Stick Golf Course in Pueblo.

"It hasn't sunk in yet. I don't know when it will, or if it will," said Joh, who made 10 birdies and an eagle yesterday in the 36-hole match-play format.

Almost every player who advanced to the quarterfinals had at least one exceptional round. Kim on Saturday was as hot as anyone all week, winning two matches easily, while Joh made yesterday her day to shine.

"Kim Kim, Kim-squared, is a fantastic player. She bombs her drives and makes bomb chips (she chipped in twice yesterday). I feel like I got away with a lot out there today," Joh said. "I thought I was going to have to make a lot of birdies because pars weren't going to be enough to beat her."

The course was closed to the public for the final day of this 30th annual USGA championship and two teenagers from out of town used the 6,263-yard par-72 as their private playground.

And play they did.

Joh spent a brisk morning 18 building a two-hole lead. The two played the track in a little more than three hours as Joh went 2-up before the lunch break.

"I didn't feel any pressure. I just tried my best to come back," Kim said. "But (in the second round) I missed a lot of birdie chances and Tiffany played an excellent round.

A half of sandwich, two caddies and 60 minutes later, Joh recorded birdies on Nos. 2 through 5 to go 6-up.

She capped the already insurmountable lead with an eagle-2 on the 401-yard par-4 11th (her 29th hole of the day). After striping a drive down the middle of the fairway, Joh had 116 yards to the cup. Joh's wedge sent her ball high in the air. It hit softly, kicked left with some spin and found the bottom of the cup.

"I was thinking that it was close, but I had no idea it went in," she said. "I told myself not to go crazy and run around through the gallery and look like an idiot, especially if it didn't go in. I thought it was in a swale or something."

Joh closed out the match with a birdie on the par-5 13th.

Kim was attempting to be the second-youngest winner of the tournament, after Michelle Wie, who won it when she was 13.

"I'm tired," said Kim, who travels today to Newport, R.I., to play in the U.S. Women's Open. "(Saturday) I was able to start fast. Today, I tried to stay with Tiffany but she kept making birdie after birdie. I don't have a lot of confidence coming from behind, but I think I can learn from this."

Both players earned an exemption to the U.S. Women's Amateur in Oregon this August. Joh is exempt in 2007, too, because of the win.