Oda takes another title

Moanalua’s John Oda closed his high school career with a second state championship, and Punahou collected its fourth team title in five years on Thursday.

Neither victory came easy.

Drained by travel and illness, Oda punctuated the final round of the David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA Boys Golf Championship by draining a 17-foot birdie putt on his 20th hole of the day to win a playoff at Turtle Bay Resort’s Palmer Course.

Oda was joined in the playoff by Punahou’s Paul Samiere and Kyle Suppa after the duo helped the Buffanblu overcome a 12-shot deficit entering the day to retain the team crown.

Suppa turned in the low round of the 36-hole tournament with a 5-under-par 67 on Thursday. Samiere, whose daring second shot on No. 18 led to a tying birdie, also carded a two-day total of 2-under-par 142.

The trio went back to play the 18th and Suppa fell out of contention on the first playoff hole. Playing No. 18 for a third time, Oda rolled in a quick downhill putt on his final stroke of high school golf to end a dramatic day on the North Shore.

"To be honest, after my first 18 I was just so tired," said Oda, who returned from a 10-day stay in Indonesia on Monday and woke up with a fever on Thursday. "But I just realized … if you want to play at a high level week in and week out you have to learn to grind through these moments and suck it up."

Oda followed his 69 on Wednesday with a 1-over 73 on Thursday and became the seventh player to win two state championships a year after finishing second.

"It’s kind of a big relief," Oda said. "After coming in second last year I was kind of heartbroken. To come back and win this year at Turtle Bay means a lot to me."

Oda, who enrolls at UNLV in the fall, won the title as a sophomore in 2012 to help Moanalua claim the team championship. Na Menehune appeared poised for another after taking a 12-shot lead on Wednesday.

But led by Suppa and Samiere, the Buffanblu posted a four-player score of 2-under 286 for a two-day total of 583. Moanalua ended the day at 10-over 301 and finished three strokes back.

"Yesterday we were dwelling a lot on the bad bounces and the negativity of the round," Punahou coach Ed Kageyama said. "We talked about being more positive on the golf course and look for the good bounces. If you turn your attitude around those good bounces just happen for you."

Suppa made a lot of good things happen in bouncing back from Wednesday’s round of 75. He had two birdies on the front nine, then played his last seven holes at 4 under, including an eagle on the par-4 14th.

"I was in a full-attack zone," Suppa said. "I knew we were down so we had to make birdies."

Suppa’s putt on No. 14 dropped after his drive around a corner stopped about 10 feet from the pin.

"It wasn’t exactly what I was trying to do," Suppa said of his drive, "but I’ll take it."

Samiere also pulled off a remarkable shot late in his round. Where many players elected to lay up on the par-5 18th rather than challenge the water fronting the green, Samiere decided to swing away on his second shot.

His shot hit the rocks bordering the pond, bounced straight up, landed on the fringe and stuck.

"I said a few words to try to get it over the edge and I’m glad my ball listened to me," he said.

Samiere then chipped to about 2 feet to set up his birdie to finish his round of 2-under 70 and tie Oda and Suppa for the lead.

While the individual title was still in doubt, the Buffanblu knew they’d retained the team title by the time Samiere walked off the green.

"Knowing what was on the line and looking back and seeing the events that took place all day, it was amazing," Samiere said.

HHSAA STATE CHAMPIONSHIP
At Turtle Bay Palmer Course

Team results
1. Punahou, 583; 2. Moanalua, 586; 3. Baldwin, 613; 4. Mid-Pacific, 621; 5. Kaiser, 669; 6. Kauai, 676; 7. Waiakea, 695; 8. Lahainaluna, 707; 9. Mililani, 709; 10. Kahuku, 734; 11. Campbell, 746.

Individual results