The Manoa Cup has been around for over a century, currently in its 118th year.
The Manoa Cup women’s championships, meanwhile, have a much shorter history.
When it was introduced eight years ago, the Hawaii State Golf Association had just enough participants — eight — to organize a quarterfinals. A qualifying round was used for nothing more than seeding.
Fast-forward eight years, and a record 31 golfers registered for qualifying, meaning nearly half did not qualify for the start of match play in the round of 16. Competition is stiff. Wednesday’s quarterfinals featured the HHSAA champion, Jasmine Wong; the Jennie K. Invitational champion, Alexa Takai; the Hawaii State Amateur champion, Kate Nakaoka; and the top-seeded qualifier, Ava Cepeda — all on one side of the bracket. That’s without mentioning Kara Kaneshiro and Kellie Yamane, the tournament’s past two runner-ups, who went swing-for-swing in their quarters pairing.
“I hope it keeps growing, because then the Manoa Cup could be a big event for women, like the Jennie K,” said Wong, an ‘Iolani alumna who will continue her golf career at Gonzaga in the fall.
As far as Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Brandan Kop is concerned, the HSGA’s next order of business is moving the tees back in the women’s division — to Oahu Country Club’s medium white tees, as are typically used for women’s amateur events. Women hit from the red and men hit from the blue at the Manoa Cup.
“They’re playing the red tee, but I think they’re going to play the white tee because the caliber is too good,” Kop said.
“That’s the suggestion I think they’re looking at.”
According to Kop, who watched all 18 holes of Wong and Takai’s quarterfinal match, Wong crushed a 340-yard drive en route to an eagle at OCC’s opening hole.
“I would say that this first hole does not feel like a par-5,” Wong said.
The combined distance from the red tees across all 18 holes amounts to 5,333 yards — 708 yards short of the blue tees and 407 yards short of the white tees.
Even the silver tees, meant for OCC’s more senior members, span 5,417 yards.
“It’s a lot different, because usually in college tournaments, you have higher irons coming in, like 5-iron, 6, 7,” said Yamane, a senior at UH-Manoa. “But then in this tournament, it’s a lot of wedge work.”
Wong’s actions echoed said sentiment. After she beat Takai 1 up to advance to the semifinals, she spent upward of an hour hitting shots with her wedge. She said the post-match practice was standard procedure: work on what could’ve been better.
Although Wong won, she was 5 up thru 8 and again thru 10, after she downed a 15-foot putt for par. And the match still was decided on the final hole. Takai, to her credit, appeared as steady while 5 down as she was while tied.
“I’m still learning,” Takai said. “This is only my second time playing this tournament, and I think I honestly did better than last year even though I didn’t make it as far. Our side of the bracket was super tough.”
Wong’s Thursday morning tee time will be with Cepeda, who also went 18 holes in her match with Nakaoka.
The next Manoa Cup women’s champion — Wong, Cepeda, Yamane or Santa Clara junior Rachael Wang, a former three-time Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Player of the Year — is anyone’s guess.
“I think it’s a really good thing that there’s more people playing now,” Takai said. “When the field is better and more competitive, it’s always a good thing.”
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Women quarterfinals
Ava Cepeda def. Kate Nakaoka, 1 up thru 18; Jasmine Wong def. Alexa Takai, 1 up thru 18; Kellie Yamane def. Kara Kaneshiro 3&1; Rachael Wang def. Nicole Tanoue 4&2
Today’s Tee Times
Women’s semifinals
8:12 a.m. – Ava Cepeda, Hauula; Jasmine Wong, Honolulu
8:21 a.m. – Kellie Yamane, Honolulu; Rachael Wang, Honolulu
