The Loop
The young & victorious in Washington
__Golf World College Players of the Week
Oct. 10-16
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__[#image: /photos/55ad7427b01eefe207f6a904]|||Cheng-Tsung Pan.jpeg|||
Cheng-Tsung Pan, Washington
Stop me if you've heard this one: freshman in the Class of 2015 makes the quick jump to college golf by winning a individual title in impressive fashion. That was the case again with Pan, a 19-year-old from Taiwan, shooting a seven-under 65 in the final round of The Prestige at PGA West to claim medalist honors by three strokes over Oregon's Eugene Wong.
It was just Pan's second college start, as he joined Alabama's Justin Thomas and Stanford's Patrick Rodgers as rookies to win early this fall.
"He was really able to hit the big shots when we needed them," said Husky coach Matt Thurmond. "It was fun to see all the difficult shots on the back nine and him hitting them perfectly. That's rare for any golfer, let alone a freshman under such immense pressure."
Pan's efforts nearly helped Washington rally past Oregon in the team competition, the Ducks edging their Pac-12 rivals by two strokes.
"It feels great," Pan said. "On the other hand, I feel disappointed that we didn't win as a team."
__Honorable mentions:
__Kyle Kmiecik, Kent State
Final-round 67 at Bank of Tennessee Intercollegiate was three stokes better than all but one other golfer, helping Golden Flash shot -10/278 to rally and win
Thomas Pieters, Illinois
Carded earned first college title with career-best -7/209 at Jack Nicklaus Invite
__WOMEN
__[#image: /photos/55ad7427add713143b42571e]|||SooBin Kim.jpeg|||
SooBin Kim, Washington
It's not just rookies in the men's game having success. Kim, a 18-year-old freshman from Coquitlam, British Columbia, broke the UW women's 54-hole scoring record with a 13-under 200 at Stanford GC en route to a two-stroke win at the Stanford Intercollegiate.
Kim closed the tournament with a bogey-free 66, the second lowest final round ever shot by a Husky.
"What an impressive week," said women's coach May Lou Mulfur. "Here you are in your third college start, you know you're tied for the lead and you go out and play a bogey-free round."
__*Honorable mentions:
*__Meagan Bauer, Michigan
A final-round 68 for an even-par 213 at Lady Northern gave the senior a four-shot win, her first college title.
Jaclyn Jansen, Baylor
Co-medalist at the Price's Give 'Em Five tourney who helped Bears win their second team title of the fall by one stroke.
*Photos courtesy of University of Washington sports information department