More Junior achievement for Chung

LONGMEADOW -- Life's not always fair when you're 15 years old, can drive a golf ball 265 yards, and possess a barbed-wire sharp short game. Take David Chung.

All his friends have learner's permits, just months from passing driver's tests and cruising the open road. Since Chung has been busy competing in -- and winning -- junior golf tournaments all summer, he's been home just two days in two months. That leaves him no time for driver's education, so in a few months, the sophomore might be begging for rides after school.

Then again, if keeps up his play, Chung could be riding in style in a few years -- on the PGA Tour. Chung took a step yesterday to matching his second-place finish from a year ago, beating Canada's Nick Taylor, 4 and 3, in the first round of match play at the US Junior Amateur Championship at Longmeadow Country Club.

In a field loaded with 17- and 16-year-olds, Chung stormed his way to the championship match a year ago, losing to Sihawn Kim by a single hole. But Chung, who finished sixth in stroke play, never allows his age to affect him during competition.

''I feel like I'm about the same as everybody else," Chung said. ''All that matters here is ability. When I play with kids older than me, I'm not intimidated or anything. I've had a lot of experience."

That's a bit of an understatement. Blessed with advanced hand-eye coordination, Chung, a lifelong resident of Fayetteville, N.C., started walking at 10 months. He swung his first club when he was 1, his golf-fiend father, Chris, shaving down a rescue club to fit him. His parents watched with amazement when Chung made solid contact in the front yard.

Chris started taking him to a driving range when he was 2, and Chung started playing tournaments at age 7. He fired his first round under par at 10, and he became a scratch golfer before he became a teenager. So while he may be just 15, he's well beyond that in golfing years.

''I've been on a golf course pretty much every day of my life," said Chung, who won the North Carolina Junior Championship in June and competes on the American Junior Golf Association tour.

Despite all his experience, he hasn't lost youthful precociousness. His size certainly doesn't belie his age -- he stands 5 feet 7 inches, 115 pounds. After he finished off his match yesterday on the 15th hole, he asked if he could play the 16th for fun.

And, of course, for practice. About 90 minutes after his match wrapped up, Chung remained on the practice green, working on short putts. Since he fell in the final last year, Chung has added 10 pounds and 15 yards.

''His determination is stronger than any other player's," said Kim, the defending champion. ''When I see him play on the course, it's amazing how his determination can be that great. My mom always tells me, 'Get David Chung's determination, and you'll be fine.' It's like he got God's hand. He pulls off some crazy stuff. He has more skill than me. I think last year, I got lucky."

Chung tees off today at 9:36 a.m. against Rory Hie, and plenty of eyes will be on him. But perhaps the most compelling match -- and undoubtedly the one featuring the best genes -- will pit medalist Sam Saunders against 33d-seed Kevin Tway, the grandson of Arnold Palmer vs. the son of PGA pro Bob Tway. Saunders downed Benjamin Blundell, 6 and 5, and Tway, an Edmond, Okla., native, defeated Brett Spencer, 3 and 2. The day's first pairing, they'll tee off at 7:30.

Kim will tee off at 8:06, thanks to winning yesterday's most dramatic match against 61st-seed Jacob Low of Hilo, Hawaii. Despite never leading, Kim prevailed on the first playoff hole when Low, who survived a playoff in the morning just to qualify for match play, three-putted for the second time in three holes.

With the pressure to defend his title, Kim said he could see his hand shaking as he put his ball down for his final putt on the 19th hole.

''If the rest of my matches are like that," joked Kim, ''I'm not playing golf anymore."