Hawaii trio advances to finals of Korn Ferry Tour qualifying

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Mariel Galdiano

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Jared Sawada

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Brent Grant

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Hawaii’s Brent Grant, Jared Sawada and Alex Chiarella advanced to the finals of the Korn Ferry Tour Q-Tournament next month, assuring themselves of playing cards for 2020.

Grant, a Moanalua alum, tied for ninth at the Second Stage in McKinney, Texas, Friday. He had rounds of 73-70-71-70.

Sawada, from Mililani, tied for 18th at the Bear Creek Golf Club in Murrieta, Calif. He shot 70 the last two days to finish at 2-under 286. Chiarella, from Maui, finished at 288 to claim one of the final spots.

Punahou graduate Parker McLachlin, who won on the PGA Tour in 2008, and former University of Hawaii-Hilo golfer Nick Mason did not advance.

All golfers at the finals, Dec. 12-15 in Florida, earn a tour card. The top 45 finishers get a “healthy number of starts” on next year’s Korn Ferry Tour.

Japan wins sixth straight Asia Pacific Junior Cup

Japan extended its winning streak to six years, capturing the 13th annual Asia Pacific Junior Cup last week at the Tom Watson Phoenix Golf Resort in Miyazaki, Japan.

The Ryder-Cup style event features 16 of Japan’s best juniors against 16 of the best from the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, with 10 boys and six girls on each team.

Japan now leads the series, 11-2. It built a 10-6 advantage in the foursome and four-ball events the first two days, then clinched by claiming seven singles matches.

Peter Jung, Kolbe Irei, Karissa Kilby, Jake Sequin, Pono Yanagi and Noah Koshi won their singles matches for Hawaii. Davis Lee, Kyung Eun Lee and Myah McDonald earned halves.

UCLA’s Galdiano places second in Pac-12 Preview at Nanea

Three-time Hawaii state high school champion Mariel Galdiano, a senior at UCLA, tied for the second at last week’s Nanea Pac-12 Preview. The annual event is hosted by the University of Hawaii at Nanea Golf Club.

The Wahine took 12th in the 12-team event with a 946 total. They were led by junior Tyra Tonkham (77—233), who finished 48th, with senior Megan Ratcliffe a shot back.

Eighth-ranked Arizona captured the team title at 857, two strokes better than No. 22 UCLA. Washington’s Rino Sasaki was the medalist, firing 70 all three days to finish at 9-under-par 210. Galdiano was two shots back.

Hawaii’s spring season begins with the Battle at the Rock, Feb. 10-11 in Riverside, Calif.