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Stanford-bound Lauren Kim of Los Altos struggled to a 4-over-par 76, but nonetheless came away the winner of the girls' division at the 83rd annual NCGA Junior Championship at Spyglass Hill Golf Course in Pebble Beach on Tuesday.

Kim, who was runner-up in last week's 63rd California Junior Girls State Championship at Monterey Peninsula Country Club, looked like she might let another title slip through her hands after suffering a double-bogey six on the 349-yard ninth hole on Tuesday.

That wrapped up a 3-over-par 39 on her second nine (she started on No. 10) after shooting a 1-over on her first nine. Kim's 76, combined with her 1-over 73 on Monday, left her at 149 and the only player to break 150.

"My putting was really strong yesterday, so I definitely wanted to keep that consistent going into today's round," explained Kim of her final-round game plan.

Coincidentally, Kim's only bogey on Monday came on the ninth hole.

Kim, however, wasn't the only one who struggled. Nancy Xu of Sunnyvale, who was tied with Kim after the first day, ballooned to a 77 on Day 2 and finished a stroke back at 150.

Menlo-Atherton High senior Xin Fang of Menlo Park shot rounds of 78-79 and finished at 157 and in a tie for ninth. Castilleja sophomore Chloe Sales of Palo Alto shot 85-87-172 and tied for 28th.

In the boys' 14-18 division, Maverick McNealy of Portola Valley finished third with a 76-69-70-215, trailing co-winners Corey Pereira of Cameron Park and Taylor Bromley of Dublin by just one stroke.

Menlo Park's Bradley Knox tied for 12th at 74-75-77-226.

Local golfers who failed to advance after the opening 36 holes included Kevin Knox of Menlo Park (83-78), Bradley Keller of Menlo Park (89-80), Henry Fletcher-Hughes of Palo Alto (85-85) and Jesse Julian Atlas of Palo Alto (84-88).

— Palo Alto Online Sports

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