Although he’s a member of Oahu Country Club and an annual Manoa Cup entrant, Chris Byrer will find himself in new territory when he tees off Friday morning.
After pulling out a win on the 21st hole on Thursday, Byrer will represent the 40-plus crowd as well as the tournament’s host club in his first appearance in the quarterfinals of the state amateur match-play championship.
Byrer, a financial adviser, played three extra holes to outlast Chaminade’s Mark Uekawa and hopes for an even longer day at OCC on Friday.
Byrer, 40, faces Justin Williamson, a homeschooled 17-year-old, in the first of four quarterfinal matches at 7 a.m. Friday. After lunch, the winners return to the first tee for the semifinals set to start at noon and 12:08 p.m.
The two survivors return Saturday for the 36-hole final.
Byrer spent part of his youth at OCC, where his father was a member, and joined the club after graduating from Oregon in 1998. He entered Thursday’s Round of 16 as the oldest player in the field by a 13-year margin and got a boost this week "seeing the members cheering me on and sending me texts and e-mails," said Byrer, who knocked off top-seeded Justin Ngan in the second round.
"There were a few times I didn’t want to blow it so I didn’t have to hear it from them," he added with a laugh.
Byrer was 1 down going into the 18th on Thursday and got a break when Uekawa’s approach shot plugged in a greenside bunker. Byrer won the hole with double bogey and advanced in the bracket when Uekawa lipped-out a par putt on the 21st hole.
University of Hawaii senior Scotty Yamashita moved on with a 6-and-5 win over Punahou’s Aiko Leong, who made a push to become the tournament’s first female quarterfinalist in its 107-year history.
"It means a lot and the experience was really great," Leong said. "It’ll help me prepare for my mainland tournaments, practicing pressure shots in tournament play."
Before heading to Kansas for two junior golf events and the U.S Girls qualifier in Colorado, Leong distinguished herself as only the second female to reach the Manoa Cup’s third round and the first since 2010.
Her putting wasn’t quite as sharp compared to her previous two rounds and Yamashita’s distance and accuracy off the tee helped him stay a step ahead.
"A lot of it was starting off in the fairway and just giving myself chances at birdie," Yamashita said. "I was driving the ball well and putting really well today."
Yamashita was 5 up through eight holes before Leong got one back with a par on the ninth. Yamashita then lasered a 3-wood off the 10th tee, cutting the corner on the 257-yard uphill par-4. His shot landed eight feet from the pin and he drained the eagle putt.
"Basically when Scotty’s hitting that far and that straight there’s not much you can do," Leong said.
Yamashita, a semifinalist last year, will face San Diego State sophomore PJ Samiere, who advanced with a 4-and-3 win over ‘Iolani’s Kengo Aoshima.
"We’ll definitely need our A games tomorrow for sure," Yamashita said.
Samiere began the week with a 67 in qualifying and has yet to play the 17th hole through three matches.
"I just want to try to keep the momentum," Samiere said. "I’ve done a good job of making pars and I think that really helps in match play when you don’t give anything to the other person."
The winner of the Yamashita-Samiere matchup will face a Moanalua graduate, either Brent Grant or Tyler Ota.
Ota carded three birdies against one bogey in a 4-and-3 win over Andy Okita while Grant moved on by eliminating a former Na Menehune teammate for the second straight match.
A day after edging Kyosuke Hara, Grant went the distance again to fend off Moanalua senior Shawn Lu 2 up.
The Byrer-Williamson winner will take on Punahou senior Sian Rogers or Hawaii Hilo’s Dalen Yamauchi in the afternoon round Friday.
Rogers knocked off Isaac Jaffurs, a finalist last year, 3 and 1. Yamauchi, named UH Hilo’s male athlete of the year last month, rolled past Andrew Chin 7 and 5 while shooting a bogey-free 5 under over his 13 holes.
FRIDAY’S MATCHES
Quarterfinals
Chris Byrer vs. Justin Williamson, 7 a.m.
Sian Rogers vs. Dalen Yamauchi, 7:08 a.m.
PJ Samiere vs. Scotty Yamashita, 7:16 a.m.
Brent Grant vs. Tyler Ota, 7:24 a.m.
Semifinals
Byrer/Wiliamson vs. Rogers/Yamauchi, noon
Samiere/Yamashita vs. Grant/Ota, 12:08 p.m.
THURSDAY’S RESULTS
Round of 16
Chris Byrer def. Mark Uekawa 21 holes
Justin Williamson def. Chris Shimomura 2 and 1
Sian Rogers def. Isaac Jaffurs 3 and 1
Dalen Yamauchi def. Andrew Chin 7 and 5
Pj Samiere def. Kengo Aoshima 4 and 3
Scotty Yamashita def. Aiko Leong 6 and 5
Brent Grant def. Shawn Lu 2 up
Tyler Ota def. Andy Okita 4 and 3
WEDNESDAY’S RESULTS
Round of 32
Chris Byrer def. Justin Ngan 4 and 3
Mark Uekawa def. Matthew Ma 19 holes
Justin Williamson def. Skye Inakoshi 2 and 1
Chris Shimomura def. Kyle Suppa 1 up
Sian Rogers def. Evan Kawai 3 and 2
Isaac Jaffurs def. Shon Katahira 4 and 3
Andrew Chin def. Nick Matsushima 1 up
Dalen Yamauchi def. Brandan Kop 5 and 4
Pj Samiere def. Nickolaus Nelson 7 and 6
Kengo Aoshima def. Jaren McCartney 5 and 3
Scotty Yamashita def. Nick Ushijima 2 and 1
Aiko Leong def. Brian Lee 2 and 1
Shawn Lu def. Jarin Harada by forfeit
Brent Grant def. Kyosuke Hara 1 up
Tyler Ota def. Andrew Otani 4 and 3
Andy Okita def. Caleb Keohokapu 2 and 1
