The Big Island was well represented in the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Championships held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Club at Hokulia in Kealakekua. ADVERTISING The Big Island was well represented in the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association
The Big Island was well represented in the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Championships held on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Club at Hokulia in Kealakekua.
Pono Yanagi, who attends Kamehameha-Hawaii, was the top local finisher, shooting a two day score of 5-over-par, 148. He placed seven strokes back of Punahou’s Evan Kawai (2-under-142) in the 15-18 year old division.
After the first day of the tournament, Yanagi trailed by only two strikes after finishing with a 2-over-74. However, he followed with a 3-over-75 on the final day of the tournament for a fifth place finish.
Kawai shot an even-par-72 in the first round and then went low on Day 2 with a 70. He was one of only two male golfers in the division to shoot under par in a round.
Yanagi was paired with another Big Island golfer in the second round, Waiakea’s Shon Katahira. Katahira shot a 3-over-75 on the first day and followed that up with a 76 in the second day to finish seventh.
Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Kalai Pomroy shot a 2-day score of 17-over-161 for an 18th place finish and Makua Lani’s Matthew Rosato finished with a 24-over-168 for a 21st place finish.
In the 15-18 year old girls division, two-time defending BIIF champion and incoming Waiakea junior Kaley Ann Saludares shot a two-day score of 21-over-165. She finished with an 81 on the first day and followed that up with an 83 on the second day to place 10th
Allysha Mae Mateo won the 15-18 division and was the low scorer for the tournament by shooting 2-under-par. The Maryknoll student was 4-over after the first day but blew away the entire field with an 8-under-66 on the final day.
Waiakea’s Kaelyn Uchida finished with a two day score of 191 to place 18th in the division.
Lee Davis won the boys 13-14 division with a 1-over-145. Waiakea’s Isaiah Kanno finished fourth with a 23-over-167 a week after qualifying at the Manoa Cup. Keaau’s Ethan Hironaga and Dillon Ah Chong shot a 2-day score of 173 and 180 for fifth and sixth place respectively.
In the girls 13-14 division, Honolulu’s Karissa Pi’ilani Kilby beat out the field with an 8-over-152. Hilo’s Mari Ebersole shot a 22-over-166 to place 3rd. Lacey Uchida, also from Hilo, finished fifth with a 30-over-174.
Because they won their age group, Lee, Kilby, Mateo and Kawai, are all invited to the Japan High School Golf Association Championships, which will be held Aug. 10-14 at Ube 72 Country Club in Japan.
Also, two spots were available for both the boys and girls for the Trusted Choice Big “I” National Championships, which will be held Aug. 1-4 at the Del Paso Country Club in Sacramento, California. Kawai and Kilby qualified, along with Honolulu’s Matthew Shen (1-over-145) and Kapolei’s Alanis Sakuma (7-over-151).
Drive, Chip & Putt qualifier
Chanelle Hwang and Dillon Ah Chong and were the most consistent hitters of the tee, Jillian Mitsuda was true with her irons and Aukahi Lapera was steadiest on the greens.
Along with 17 other golfers Saturday at Hualalai, those four took the first step toward a possible trip to Augusta National by advancing at a Drive, Chip & Putt qualifier.
Lapera accumulated the highest overall score (127 points) in winning the boys 10-11 division. He nailed two drives at least 210 yards and also made a hole-in-one.
Mitsuda smacked two drives longer than 220 yards, and even though she was hurt when she missed the fairway with another drive, she was on the mark with her chipping, placing two balls within 2 feet of the cup to finish first in girls 13-14 with 106 points.
Hwang won girls 11-12 with 104 points as all three of her drives cleared 200 yards. Ah Chong reaches 200 three times as well to top boys 14-15 with 103 points.
The other age-group winners were Will Pedersen (boys 7-9), Justin Birch (boys 12-13), Zaynie Lee Chow (girls 7-9), and Michiko Ejima (girls 10-11).
Also advancing to a subregional qualifier on Oahu were Jayden Pacheco, Colt Coakley, Jayden Alonzo Estrada, Katsuhiro Yamashita, Eric Gee, Michael Clifford-Levy, Jacob Gardner, Mari Ebersole, Rayna Gallegos, Megan Nakamoto, Adriana Lynn Volpe, Emma Akana and Madelyn Awaya.
The ultimate prize is a trip to the championships, which will be held during the week leading up to the Masters.
At the Aloha Senior Skills Challenge on Sunday at Hualalai, Norbert Furumo (Kupuna division), Clayton Amuro (Makule division) and (Lolita Rapozo) were the winners at a drive, chip and putt contest.
