Green Valley’s Kaui second at Las Vegas junior open

Alex Kaui was looking to make history Thursday by becoming only the second girl to successfully defend her title at the American Junior Golf Association Matt Snodgrass Las Vegas Junior Open. But Kaui, a senior-to-be at Green Valley High School, had a nightmarish back nine and had to settle for second place at Stallion Mountain Golf Club.

Kaui was caught and passed by 13-year-old Haley Moore, as the high school freshman-to-be from Escondido, Calif., shot a final-round 2-under-par 70 to win by four strokes with a three-day total of par 216.

In the boys division, a player outside of Southern Nevada won for the first time in five years. Charlie Danielson of Osceola, Wis., shot a three-day total of 7-under 209 to win by five strokes over Mike McGilton and Lloyd Jefferson Go.

Kaui, a two-time Class 4A state individual champion who has led Green Valley to three straight state titles, said she didn't want to do anything different after making the turn two strokes in front.

"I was trying to keep everything the same," said Kaui, who was hoping to join Nancy Abiecunas (1998, 1999) as the only girls to go back-to-back in Las Vegas. "But I was having a lot of trouble with the greens, and it gave Haley a chance to get back in it."

The greens were bumpy and thus hard to read. Kaui had survived a double-bogey on her first hole, but had birdies at Nos. 3, 6 and 9 to play the front side at 1 under. Moore was 1 over with nine holes to play.

But a bogey by Kaui at 10 cut that advantage in half, and the tournament swung on holes 13 and 14.

Moore made birdie at 13, a 479-yard par 5, while Kaui settled for par. At the par-4, 334-yard 14th, Moore hit her second shot to within 3 feet, while Kaui was looking at a 70-foot birdie putt. She wound up three-putting for bogey in what would contribute to a 3-over 39 back nine, while Moore made the birdie putt for a two-shot swing and a lead she did not relinquish.

"Once I made those two birdies, I felt like I was getting hot," said Moore, who was the leader after the first 18 holes Tuesday and played Thursday's back nine at 3 under. "I felt more comfortable, and to win a tournament like this will really help my confidence for the rest of the summer."

Kaui, who plans to sign a national letter of intent with Oklahoma in November, next will play June 25 to 29 at the Rolex Tournament of Champions in Alpharetta, Ga.

"It's disappointing to let it get away," she said. "I know how to read greens, and I'm a better putter than I showed (Thursday). But I know the greens will be better at the TOC."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow him on Twitter: @stevecarprj.