Before he had a putter or driver in his hands, Joshua Hayashida had Tiger on the telly.

Tiger Woods captivated young Josh, who then got on the links as a kindergartner. Dad, former Mililani golfer Glen Hayashida, had an inkling.

“I bought him a shortened golf club,” he said.

Josh remembers more — a set of four clubs.

“I was 5 and they were real clubs. I was, ‘Let’s do it.’ We went to the range,” he said.

“He addresses the ball,” Glen Hayashida recalled. “Takes his first swing, and the ball went up in the air, straight down. I was in shock.”

Josh Hayashida was unfazed by his perfect swing.

“My dad said, ‘I didn’t teach you anything. How did you hit it so good?’ I don’t know. I’ve been watching Tiger Woods,” said Hayashida, who went on to All-Interscholastic League of Honolulu first-team honors as a freshman at Hawaii Baptist Academy in 2019.

HBA won the boys state championship in ’19, the school’s first, at Waikoloa Kings Course. Three Eagles carded top-15 scores. Hayashida tied for 23rd, the second-highest finish among freshmen.

“Oh wow, our team was really solid. We were five deep. Five guys who would go out and shoot 70. It was a fun season. We were super connected. We knew what we were doing and always helping each other out, the entire team,” he said.

In ’21, there were no all-league honors, but Hayashida again led the league in stroke average. This season, he is averaging 70 based on top four scores, the numbers that determine who goes to the David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA Golf State Championships at Kaanapali on May 9-10. His stroke average for all seven ILH tournaments is 73.2.

Hayashida is a strong contender, along with seasoned golfers like Dane Watanabe of ‘Iolani and Dillon Jonke of Maui Prep.

Hayashida has won four of the seven ILH tournaments so far this spring: a 70 at Pearl Country Club, a 71 at Leilehua, a 69 at Hoakalei and a 70 last week at Hawaii Prince. When he’s not competing, Hayashida and his teammates practice twice a week. On his own, he practices even more. It is his lifeblood when he is not on campus. This week, the Eagles are in ILH play on Wednesday at Pearl. On Thursday, Hayashida begins play in the Mid-Pacific Open.

“He demands more of himself than any coach ever would,” Hawaii Baptist coach Randy Collins said. “We have worked at controlling his intensity so his fire doesn’t consume him. Golf is not a game of perfection, and he has gradually learned this and seems to have more fun now at times.”

The child prodigy had plenty of guidance along the way. Jeff Ferry and John Hearn worked with Hayashida.

“Jeff was Josh’s swing coach since Josh took group classes at age 6,” Glen Hayashida said. “He took private lessons from him around 12. John was instrumental at taking him on the course, (learning) course management from ages 7 to 11.”

Since Ferry moved to the mainland five years ago, Hayashida has never quite replaced him.

“Every once in awhile, Josh would send a video and talk to him,” Glen Hayashida said. “Jeff told me once during lessons, the one thing Josh knows, not everyone can do this, but Josh understands his swing. When things are going awry, he can actually fix it. It might not be immediate, but he understands what needs to be done. That’s what sets him apart.”

Ferry is now teaching the game in Florida. He remembers young Josh Hayashida well.

“I did an evaluation to see if he was ready for a group class. He was younger than kids I would usually let participate in the classes. Two things stuck in my mind. First was he loved the game. Second was he understood that the club face made the ball do what he wanted it to do. He has a great pair of hands. Put simply, he has talent.”

Ferry also noted Hayashida’s ability to make adjustments.

“He absorbed it all. His golf IQ was as high as anyone’s by the time he was 13,” he said. “If he ever decides to teach the game instead of play it, he will be an amazing coach.”

There is more than golf. On Easter Sunday, Hayashida was in his other sanctuary, Moanalua Gardens Missionary Church, helping with the children’s Easter service. Then he hit the course at Mililani Golf Club with his sister, former Seattle Pacific gymnast Kristi Hayashida, who is learning to play. Every practice session has a purpose.

“I go there with a goal in mind, what to improve on, so I improve by 1 percent. Learning new shots, fundamentals. I’ve really been trying to improve my chipping. At (Hawaii) Prince, it really showed because my chipping was good that day,” he said.

In a few months, Josh Hayashida, who has a 3.78 grade-point average, becomes a Hawaii Warrior. He will have the opportunity to play under coach Scott Simpson, winner of 16 pro events, including the 1987 U.S. Open. Simpson was also two-time NCAA champion at USC. Along with a substantial financial package, Hayashida had a simple choice between Hawaii and Sacramento State. The dream is to turn pro one day, he said. Hayashida plans to major in business administration.

“Use my degree and stay in the golf field as a local golf pro or tournament event coordinator,” he said.

For now, it’s golf and more golf. Since the last state tournament in ’19, Hayashida has grown into a new role. There are six boys and five girls playing for HBA.

“It’s totally different. When I was a freshman, in the regular season I wasn’t expected to do too much. Now I’m the leader of the team so to speak. It’s kind of different. Everyone looks to me for guidance or to feed off of. It’s a good thing, but it’s also a difficult thing to manage,” Hayashida said.

Gauging a new golf course has its challenges, but it’s a life he has known for nearly a decade. Traveling for junior golf tournaments since he was 8 included a stop in Sheridan, Wyo.

“Wyoming was really nice. Our team stayed with a host family. They fed us and took care of us. It was the smallest airport I’ve ever seen, only one or two gates. The plane could barely fit all the golf bags,” Hayashida said. “The course was really nice. Every state you go to, it’s going to be different. Different type of grass. Different air (elevation). We had to play it like we were hitting it farther.”

That community in Sheridan left an impression.

“I would consider living there,” he said.

Hawaii isn’t so bad, either. When the ILH championships wrap up on April 27, Kaanapali’s Royal course will be around the corner. The fickle cross winds await, ready to bring peril to those without a proper game plan. Former OIA and Roosevelt standout Kolbe Irei, now at UC Irvine, had a blueprint for similar conditions.

“Kolbe is great at controlling his trajectory. I just learned how to keep my ball a little low, but it’s not super low to control under the wind. It works once it rolls. It kind of trickles and has a lot of spin,” Hayashida said. “Freshman year, we played a junior (golf) qualifier and Waikoloa was 30 mph. That was the worst wind. Kaanapali isn’t that bad, around 15 or 20 mph. It’s pretty tough. The greens are slopey and tough. That was last October.”

Hayashida’s skill level means he doesn’t have many inaccuracies or inefficiencies. The places change, but the routine does not.

“If I can, I pick up a Spam musubi every tournament. I’ll stop by 7-Eleven that day or the night before. I have the same hat every time,” he said. “I try not to get into that superstition stuff because if I don’t have it, I might not play too good.”

The recent comeback of Tiger Woods has Hayashida cheering again.

“He just has a mindset that I wish I had. He’s so disciplined in his work ethic. I think he’s so in love with the game. He’s still limping, but I hope he doesn’t stop. I love to watch him play,” Hayashida said. “He definitely can’t swing it as hard as he used to. He used to swing violently at the ball, which is why he had back problems. His putting is kind of streaky, but he’s a professional, so it’s always been pretty good.”

Five-year-old Josh Hayashida learned and hasn’t forgotten.

“When I was younger, I used to imagine I’d celebrate and fist-pump like him,” he said.

The killer instinct lives.

“Josh reminds me, maybe, of Michael Jordan,” HBA coach Collins said. “When he walks to the first tee, he doesn’t just hope to play well. He expects to win. Josh would be my man to take the last shot. He can hit them all. From his driver, long irons, wedges, short game and putter, there isn’t a real weakness. If you asked him, he would say he needs to work in all those areas. He never stops working. His overall good play is a big reason HBA is sitting in first place.”

Coach Ferry misses his former pupil.

“He is tenacious, confident, competitive and talented. He can go as far as he decides he wants to go in the game. To top it off, he is caring, honest, friendly and genuine. He can thank his parents for that. I am happy to have gotten to know both the family and Josh. It was a privilege and an honor to have him call me Coach.”