Terry Noe

Terry Noe, 17, a native Korean living in the United States for only 20 months before this championship, defeated fellow Californian Andy Barnes, 2 up, to win the 47th U.S. Junior Amateur Championship, at Echo Lake Country Club, in Westfield, N.J.

Noe, of Fullerton, Calif., who was playing in his first Junior Amateur, had a relatively easy time in the morning semifinal, beating Mauricio Muniz, of Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, 5 and 3. Barnes, meanwhile, defeated a scrappy, 110-pound Charles Howell, of Augusta, Ga., 1 up. Howell, who defeated Ted Oh, of Torrence, Calif., in a quarterfinal marque matchup, 1 up, also was a semifinalist in 1993, and still has more eligibility left. He is just 15 years old.

Noe had been the 1992 South Korean national junior champion, but had played in only two tournaments previously in this country. His father and coach, Hyung, walked with him every step of the way, cheering his son on.

Medalist Michael Henderson, of Raleigh, N.C., who qualified with a record-tying 139, lost in the second round.

Barnes took the lead on the first hole, holing a sand shot for birdie. Noe drew all square with a par on the short par-4 second, then Barnes parred the third to regain the lead. Noe birdied the fifth, then parred the eighth to take a 1-up lead, then moved to 2 up with a par at No. 13. Barnes won the No. 15, before Noe birdied No. 16 to go to dormie 2.

Barnes kept the match alive by winning the par-3 17th with a par when Noe missed a 3-footer. But Noe steadied himself and parred the 18th to win as Barnes couldn't escape the right rough for his first two shots.

"He just outplayed me," said Barnes.

But was it an upset? Maybe so, according to Noe.

"I just wanted to make the cut," Noe admitted.

The championship drew 2,694 entries, breaking the previous record set in 1993.