Columnist Adam Candee: Park already emerging as part of golf’s ‘In’ crowd

Adam Candee

Wednesday, March 30, 2005 | 8:52 a.m.

Adam Candee covers golf for the Sun. Reach him at (702) 259-4085 or by e-mail at candee@lasvegassun.com.

To those who haven't spent the past year sharing space under a rock with Bud Selig, Michelle Wie is arguably the hottest story in golf right now.

And while the 15-year-old sensation enjoys plenty of deserved attention, Las Vegas is home to another high school teenie-bopper who appears poised to join the, like, young girlie golf revolution or something.

In-Bee Park, a 16-year-old junior at Bishop Gorman High School, won the AJGA Heather Farr Classic in Mesa, Ariz., last weekend against one of the strongest junior fields in the country. The top-ranked female junior player in the Golfweek/Titleist ratings, Park tied the 36-hole record for the tournament by shooting 4-under 138 (68-70) at Longbow Golf Club.

Park first attracted interest at last year's LPGA Takefuji Classic at Las Vegas Country Club, using a sponsor's exemption to the fullest by finishing tied for eighth against the best of the professional tour. She cruised to the Nevada high school championship in class 4A this year and will again play on a sponsor's exemption in the Takefuji, which gets under way on April 14.

A first-team junior All-American, Park owns seven victories on the circuit for the top young golf talent in the nation. She also finished second at four events last year. Don't be surprised if she is striving toward such success as an LPGA player in the next few years.

The Park revolution doesn't end with In-Bee either. Her little sister, freshman In-Ah, also played on Bishop Gorman's state championship team this year.

So good is Moore, in fact, that he will play in the Masters next week for the second time in three years. It's a perk of his wins at the U.S. Amateur Public Links and U.S. Amateur last summer.

Another bonus of his U.S. Amateur win is the opportunity to take part in the eighth annual Georgia Cup, which pits the current U.S. Amateur champion against the British Amateur champion in an 18-hole match play format as a warm-up for the Masters. On Thursday Moore will face Stuart Wilson, 26, of Scotland at The Golf Club of Georgia in Alpharetta, Ga.

Moore is still an amateur for a few more months and he is up for college's golf biggest award for the third consecutive season. Moore was recently named a semifinalist for the Hogan Award, considered the equivalent of the Heisman Trophy in golf. There are 10 semifinalists for the award, and they will be pared down to five finalists in April. The winner is announced in May.

Moore was a finalist for the Hogan Award as a sophomore and a semifinalist last season as a junior.

Junior Ryan Keeney entered Tuesday's final round just a shot off the lead, but carded an even-par 72 in the final round to tie for seventh at 8-under. Senior Travis Whisman continued his strong spring season, tying for 10th at 7-under.

UNLV will also play its final regular-season tournament without Moore. The Rebels head to Phoenix for the ASU/Thunderbird Invitational from April 8-9, when Moore will be playing the second - and possibly third, if he makes the cut - round of the Masters.

Moore returns to the squad in time for the Mountain West Conference championship from April 28-30 in Sunriver, Ore.

The Golf Classic "Fore" Kids is a four-person scramble. Early-bird entry fee through April 15 is $95, and the price increases to $115 thereafter. A luncheon and silent auction are included in the cost. For more information, call 436-6335.