ILH champion Dane Watanabe started the day two shots back and ended it as a state champion.
The ‘Iolani senior shot a 4-under 68 on Friday to win individual medalist honors at the David Ishii/HHSAA Boys Golf State Championships at Wailua Golf Course on Kauai.
Watanabe, who was one of three golfers to tee off in the final group at 9 a.m., won by five shots over Seabury Hall’s Tyler Loree. Watanabe was the only golfer to shoot in the 60s on either day of the tournament.
Watanabe struck first with a birdie on the second hole and gained another shot when Loree bogeyed the fourth.
The Raider birdied the sixth hole but gave it back with his lone bogey on No. 7. He added another birdie on the par-5 ninth to make the turn at 34 to Loree’s 37.
The Spartan made a move with his first birdie on the 10th hole while Watanabe parred, but the eventual state champion carded birdies on 12 and 14 to go up by five strokes. He parred the rest of the way and Loree birdied 16 before taking a bogey on the par-3 17th. Both boys parred the final hole to officially give Watanabe the victory. Watanabe, who won the ILH championship by four strokes a week ago, was six shots better in the final round than he was on the first day. Loree fought back from a 41 on his front nine in the first round but couldn’t recover.
Watanabe’s five-shot margin is the largest by a winner since Moanalua’s Jun Ho Won bested the field by 10 shots to win in 2017.
Waiakea’s Ryder Ng came in third place at 6-over 150 and led the Warriors to their first team title in boys golf since 2003.
Dysen Park (77-75—152) and Noah Otani (75-79—144) also finished in the top 10 for Waiakea.
It was the first time the Wildcats had three players in the top 10 since they had four of them finish that high in 2003.
Anson Cabello, the first-round leader by two shots after opening with a 70, finished in a tie for eighth place at 8 over after shooting 82.
Watanabe, who started playing golf under the tutelage of Casey Nakama when he was 8 years old, finished fifth at states as a junior.
Loree, who finished third last year as a freshman, earns his second top-three finish. Alex Chiarella, who finished second on the same course to John Oda in 2012, is the only other Spartan to earn a top-three finish at states.
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DAVID ISHII HHSAA BOYS GOLF CHAMPIONSHIPS
Individual Final Top 25
1. Dane Watanabe, ‘Iolani 74-68—142
2. Tyler Loree, Seabury 75-72—147
3. Ryder Ng, Waiakea 78-72—150
4. Renner Chumley, Maui Prep 76-75—151
5. Dysen Park, Waiakea 77-75—152
6. Chris Salem, Maui Prep 79-73—152
7. James Fujita, Moanalua 77-75—152
8. Dillon Jonke, Maui Prep 78-76—154
9. Noah Otani, Waiakea 75-79—154
10. Anson Cabello, KS-Maui 72-82—154
11. Tyler Tamayori, Saint Louis 78-77—155
12. Jackson Ibarra, Mid-Pacific 79-76—155
13. Justin Todd, Punahou 78-78—156
14. Julian Samia, Waipahu 80-76—156
15. Phoenix Nguyen, Punahou 74-82—156
16. Kevin Yamashita, Kealakehe 82-75—157
17. Caleb Makoff, Makua Lani 78-79—157
18. Bryce Toledo-Lue, Punahou 75-82—157
19. Yoyo Xia, Hawaii Baptist 81-77—158
20. Jake Otani, Waiakea 77-81—158
21. Dylan Sakasegawa, Moan. 82-77—159
22. Zaedis Yoshizawa, Kalani 79-81—160
23. Jacob Chien, ‘Iolani 79 81—160
24. Ryan Fukui, Hawaii Baptist 79-81—160
25. Crew Granum, Seabury 84-77—161
Final Team Rankings
1. Waiakea 307-307—614
2. Maui Prep 315-305—620
3. Moanalua 318-321—639
4. Punahou 324-321—645
5. Kealakehe 336-324—660
6. Hawaii Baptist 326-335—661
7. Kalani 353-353—706
T8. Kalaheo 360-353—713
T8. Mililani 365-348—713
10. Island School 368-355—723
