Chad Umetsu and Tyler Isono came out of golf’s Twilight Zone — over 30 years of age — to win the 13th annual HSGA Four-Ball Championship Sunday.
No one was more surprised than they were, after shooting consecutive 62s at Ted Makalena Golf Course.
“I’m just lucky to be playing because I’ve got a 4-month-old at home,” Isono said. “I’ve played about two rounds since Riley was born. It was kind of dumb luck and having a great partner.”
It was more than that. Isono, a 39-year-old realtor, and Umetsu, a 46-year-old manager at Aloha Gourmet, tied the tournament record of 18-under 124. The format takes the best score of the team on every hole.
The record was set six years ago by Shawn Lu and Kyosuke Hara, now seniors at Oregon State. The second-place team that year was Brent Grant and John Oda. Both now play on the Korn Ferry Tour.
Isono and Umetsu overtook first-round leaders Jacob Torres, an ‘Iolani junior, and Joshua Chung, his 14-year-old teammate. They played the back nine in even par. In Saturday’s opening round, they shot 59.
They couldn’t finish it off, closing with a 66 to tie for second with 2012 Manoa Cup champ Matt Ma and Maryknoll junior Peter Jung, who is about half Ma’s age. Jung won Four-Ball last year with Jake Sequin, a month after playing the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Ma and Jung, who also shot 62 Sunday, were not the only team with a large age gap.
Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Brandan Kop, who turns 60 this year, played with his employee, 25-year-old Andy Okita, the 2017 Manoa Cup winner. They tied for fourth with Samuel Crocker and Jason Barlow, at 15 under.
Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association Player of the Year Jeannie Pak, 50, teamed with Jung’s 14-year-old sister Esther to take sixth in the Women’s Flight.
That was won by Kalani teammates, and multiple Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Players of the Year, Teal Matsueda and Rachael Wang. Neither is old enough to drive, but the pair put together rounds of 64-65 to win by three over defending champs Alison Takamiya and Kellie Yamane (67—132).
Maui’s Raymond Tendo and Keith Anderson shot 63 Saturday and won the Senior Flight by four shots over Mike Kawate and Scott Ichimura 67—132.
The tournament had a record 254 entries and the field was cut in half for the final day, which featured ideal conditions.
Winners made the most of it, particularly Umetsu and Isono, who have teamed to win the H2 Invitational twice. They were 4 under for the final day after Umetsu pitched in for eagle on the third hole.
They were only 1 under the next nine holes, but closed with birdies on four of the final six — all from inside eight feet. The winning margin came when Umetsu’s approach shot from a divot on the 18th fairway stopped five feet from the hole and he drained the putt.
Isono called it the decisive shot. Umetsu thought back to Saturday, when he holed out from 74 yards for eagle at No. 2 — “just a slam dunk, you heard it hit the pin and it went in.”
Lance Katahara and Tomi Yamada (66—136) won a scorecard playoff to capture A Flight honors over Manny Bercasio and Leon Retotal (70—136). B Flight champions were Elmer Tadly and Ted Coons (73—144).
Net champions were Wes and Brian Watanabe (68—134) in the Seniors and Ye Won Ham and Eunice Han (67—138) for the Women. Cepeda sisters Mia, 13, and Ava, 11, were a shot back.
The Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play Championship is March 12-15 at Leilehua.
