Kim, Lees come out firing in chilly conditions

   Two of the rising stars among the girls in the county, Radnor freshman Gabby Kim and Agnes Irwin eighth-grader Kaitlyn Lees, got their golf games out of deep thaw Sunday and finished tied for second in the 13-to-15 age group as the Philadelphia Section PGA’s Junior Tour kicked off the 2014 campaign with a stop at Vineyard Golf at Renault in Egg Harbor City, N.J.

   The Philly PGA release said the event was played in frigid temperatures and high winds, but it didn’t seem to bother Kim and Lees, both of whom carved out 79s over the par-72 layout that  measures 5,323 yards for the girls.

   That’s some pretty good playing for two girls who probably haven’t hit a shot anywhere but a heated indoor range since sometime in November.

   Kim had a solid freshman season at Radnor last fall as the Raiders came up just short of their archrivals Mount St. Joseph in the team race at the District One Tournament. The Mount went to win the PIAA Class AAA team title in convincing fashion.

   Lees burst on the scene by taking the individual title as a seventh-grader last May at the Inter-Ac League Tournament. Her eighth-grade campaign will start whenever the snow melts off the golf courses around here.

   Kim and Lees were often within a few shots of each other when they both competed in Philly PGA Junior Tour events last summer.

   Esther Park of Wilmington, Del. was the medalist in the 13-to-15 age group with a sparkling 77. Chichester freshman Caprian Kan finished in a tie for sixth with a 90.

   In the boys 13-to-15 division, Kyle Vance, the District One champion as a freshman at Methacton last fall, was the medalist with a 1-under 71.

   David Hurley of Newtown Square had an 86 to finish in a tie for eight, Jacob Calamaro of Newtown Square was a shot back in 10^th with an 87, John Updike of Wayne finished 12^th with a 90, Aj Aivazoglou of Glen Mills finished in a tie for 16^th with a 95 and Michael Wilkinson of Haverford finished 22^nd with a 110.

   Bonner-Prendie senior Anna Haley, a PIAA East Regional qualifier in Class AAA last fall, finished ninth in the 16-to-18 girls division with a 105. Emily Gilbert of Gilbertsville earned medalist honors with an 85.

   Jack Hirsh of Villanova finished seventh in the 16-to-18 boys division with an 81. Pennsbury standout Vinay Ramesh was the medalist with a 2-under 70. Jack Hirsh of Villanova finished seventh with an 81, Andrew Fisher of Glenolden finished in a tie for 12^th with a an 85, Brandon Dejesse of Broomall finished 18^th with a 94 and Nicholas Alizzi of Havertown finished 20^th with a 101.

   Among the nine-holers, Dolan Cox of Newtown Square finished second with a 46, Corey Kan of Boothwyn finished fourth with a 52, Hayden Smith of Havertown finished fifth with a 55, June Kim of Wayne finished sixth with a 57 and Aidan Lowe of Villanova finished seventh with a 60.