Go Nakatsukasa was all set to leave on Wednesday.
But with his luggage loaded into the back of a rental car, the 13-year-old added at least another day to his stay on Oahu by advancing to the 109th Manoa Cup’s round of 16.
“We weren’t thinking about going this far, so we had our flight today. So we have to cancel it and (extend) the hotel and car,” Nakatsukasa said while his mother worked the phone.
Nakatsukasa qualified for the state amateur match-play championship two years ago at age 11 and moved to San Diego later that year. He returned to Oahu Country Club this week as part of a summer vacation and his 3-and-2 win over Wailuku’s Justin Ngan, last year’s runner-up, in the second round on Wednesday pushed back his return home.
Nakatsukasa, a bit taller than his last visit but still around 5 feet, was 2 down after three holes but won the next three to take the lead. Ngan squared the match with a birdie on the steep par-5 13th, but Nakatsukasa won the next three holes to advance. He closed out the win by sticking a hybrid inside of 3 feet to set up a birdie on the 145-yard par-3 16th.
Nakatsukasa credited his chipping for keeping him in the bracket and faces Kolbe Irei today for a spot in Friday morning’s quarterfinals.
Like Nakatsukasa, recent Mid-Pacific graduate and top-seeded Zackary Kaneshiro already has exceeded his expectations for the tournament.
The Santa Clara signee said he was disappointed in his recent performances, but a subtle swing change helped him earn medalist honors in Monday’s qualifying round at 6-under-par 65. He then rolled through the first two rounds of stroke play and reached the third round a 7-and-6 win over Chad Lee on Wednesday.
“I was taking it a little bit outside with a closed face,” said Kaneshiro, who was admittedly more concerned with the Golden State-Cleveland game than his own score on Monday. “All I did was take it back more on line, more of a square face and a little shorter backswing.
“My dispersion was pretty bad before and just shortening it and that one minor fix kind of got it back on track. … Now I can control a draw, I can control a cut. I’m trying to play with more feel now.”
Kaneshiro faces Justin Taparra, who completed his Chaminade career this spring, in today’s opening match at 7 a.m.
Both of the past champions in the field also advanced on Wednesday with 2012 winner Matthew Ma set to face Tyler Isono today and 2015 champion Tyler Ota taking on Rilen Loo.
Defending champion and incoming Nevada sophomore Mari Nishiura advanced to the semifinals of the women’s division with a 5-and-4 win over Kimberlie Miyamoto. Nishiura closed her freshman year by tying for ninth at the Mountain West Conference championship in April, but “I knew coming out of the spring I was still going to have to put in a lot of work,” she said.
“My swing wasn’t where I wanted it to be at the end of the year so I was working really hard the last couple weeks or so to get back into tournament shape,” the Mililani graduate said.
Nishiura will face Karissa Kilby, an incoming Punahou freshman, in today’s first semifinal.
Isabella Leung, coming off her senior season at the University of Hawaii, faces BYU sophomore and Punahou graduate Aiko Leong on the other side of the bracket. The winners meet on Friday for the Manoa Cup’s second women’s championship.
Click here for the 109th Manoa Cup scores on Wednesday.
