Pearl Country Club played tough for an international audience earlier this week. For the second straight year, and third time overall, Japan brought a contingent to compete against Hawaii at the Pearl Junior Open, the Oahu Junior Golf Association’s premier event.
Minoru Sato, Junior Committee chair for the Kanto Golf Association, brought 17 kids who qualified on the Japan Junior Golf Tour. Hochi Shimbun, an all-sports newspaper with more than a million readers, sponsored another. The 136-player “Oahu” event also had golfers from Guam, Hilo, Maui and Molokai.
The only junior to break par was Oahu’s Pomi Milton, who won the oldest boys division when he fired a 3-under-par 69 in Tuesday’s final round. Other winners were Kaci Masuda, Mari Nishiura, Dezz Mello, Miki Manta, Kane Rogers, Kyra Tomita and Taylor John McGerity, whose closing 72 gave him a one-shot win over Alex Song in 10-unders.
Ami Ichihara gave Japan its best finish, tying for second with Jae eun Park, a shot behind Tomita. Taiga Miura — named after Tiger Woods — was third behind Mello and Kyosuke Hara.
Pearl played a windy and rainy 4,281 yards for the youngest kids and 6,787 for the 15-18 boys. That had an impact on the kids from Japan, according to Yuri Koyanagi, a 10-year old who went home happy because his 84 Tuesday was a nine-shot improvement.
Koyanagi characterized the tournament as “hotter” than any one he has played at home. His opponents were also “bigger” and Pearl was simply “tough.”
Fifteen years ago, Sato brought 68 golfers from Nittaidai Ebara, a high school affiliated with Japan’s National Sports Science University. That group included 12 future pros, including Shigeki Maruyama and Toshimitsu Izawa.
Efforts were made the past few years to bring more kids, but expenses and different school breaks — Japan is just beginning its summer break — made it difficult. Ryo Ishikawa and Ai Miyazato provided the inspiration to bring the kids back the past two years.
“This tournament is motivation for the young kids because golf is very popular with Ryo and Ai Miyazato,” Sato said. “They are a big influence for young kids as well as their parents and grandparents, and they spend money.”
Ishikawa, now 20 and recently engaged, finished 10th in the 2008 Hawaii Pearl Open as an amateur. This year Sato brought about 15 more juniors to HPO. All missed the cut. Next year he plans to bring more, and has someone in mind for the Jennie K. Invitational in May.
A talented stroke-play field
Some of Hawaii’s finest collegiate players will be among the 20 who tee off in the State Women’s Stroke Play Championship on Tuesday at Mid-Pacific Country Club.
The field includes two-time defending champion Nicole Sakamoto, who graduated from James Madison in May, then won the Jennie K. at Mid-Pac. Oregon sophomore Cassy Isagawa, who won last week’s State Match Play title, is also playing.
She leads a group of former Hawaii juniors making a mark in college now: Ka‘ili Britos (Hawaii), Michelle Condry (San Francisco), Anna Jang (Princeton), Cyd Okino (Washington), Kelli Oride (Notre Dame) and Alice Kim (Gonzaga).
Mid-Pacific Institute senior Lisa Kang, who finished second to Isagawa last week, is also playing, along with pre-teens Malia Nam and Aneka Seumanutafa.
Players tee off from 8 a.m. Tuesday, 8:30 a.m. Wednesday and 9:15 a.m. Thursday.
Hilo’s Negishi takes fifth
Hilo’s Taisei Negishi took fifth in the Boys 14-15 division at The Optimists International Junior Golf Championships, which ended Monday at PGA National Resort & Spa, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Negishi shot rounds of 72-76-76. His 224 total was seven shots out of first. The only other top-10 finisher from Hawaii was Shawn Lu, who took ninth in Boys 12-13 with scores of 80-73-69—222. Kahului’s Reese Guzman (76—230) earned a share of 14th in Girls 10-12.
The older age groups start today.
Note
» American Diabetes Association’s 18th annual Driving for a Cure golf tournament is next Thursday at Hawaii Prince Golf Club. The fundraiser will also include a Golf Ball Drop that will send 2,000 numbered golf balls onto the C-9 hole. A donation of $10 gives golfers a chance at one of the numbered balls and a prize. For information, contact ADA Hawaii at 947-5979, diabetes.org/hawaii or dtuata@diabetes.org.
