Scotty Yamashita and Kengo Aoshima put in some extra work at Oahu Country Club on Thursday. They’re hoping for an even longer day on the course Friday.
A backlog of OCC members waiting for their afternoon tee times gathered at the first tee while Yamashita and Aoshima went to extra holes to finish off their third-round Manoa Cup matches.
Yamashita, a University of Hawaii junior, finally outlasted Moanalua’s Shawn Lu on their 22nd hole to advance to the quarterfinals of the state amateur match play championship. Aoshima, an ‘Iolani sophomore, needed to go one hole farther to edge Tyler Ota.
Yamashita and Aoshima both rallied from back-nine deficits to earn places among the eight still in contention for the 106th Manoa Cup entering Friday morning’s quarterfinal matches. The winners will stick around for the semifinals scheduled for noon.
"Everyone left in this tournament is talented and gifted, not only physically but mentally," Aoshima said. "So it’s anyone’s match. Everyone has a chance to win it."
Both aspects will be tested over two rounds Friday with the survivors advancing to the 36-hole final on Saturday.
Aoshima and Ota went five holes beyond regulation on Thursday in the longest Manoa Cup match since Alex Ching defeated Travis Toyama in 24 holes in the 2008 quarterfinals.
Aoshima was 2 down after 13 holes, and cut the lead to one when Ota bogeyed No. 14. He tied the match with a birdie on the par-5 15th. They matched scores on the last three holes of regulation and the first four playoff holes before Aoshima’s chip settled about a foot from the cup on No. 5 to set up a clinching birdie.
"I had to work hard for it, it was a fabulous match," Aoshima said. "I knew a bogey wasn’t going to win the playoff, I knew I had to birdie it. We both had so many chances to close the match on each other, but that’s how golf is."
Yamashita trailed by two holes with three to play against Lu, but chips to inside of 2 feet on the 16th and 17th holes fueled his comeback.
Yamashita caught a break on the first playoff hole when his drive on No. 1 drifted way right but ricocheted back toward the fairway. He escaped again on No. 3 when Lu’s birdie putt stopped at the edge of the hole. Yamashita then landed his tee shot on the par-3 4th about five feet above the hole and a two-putt was enough to win.
"Anyone could have won in the first three holes, especially on the second hole, we both lipped out," Yamashita said. "It was an awesome match."
Yamashita will next face recent Moanalua graduate Brent Grant. He is one three members of this year’s UH men’s golf team still in the bracket. David Saka, who just completed his senior season, was the first to finish on Thursday with a 7-and-6 win over 2012 finalist Nick Matsushima.
Nainoa Calip, the runner-up at the Big West championship last month, birdied the 18th hole to get past San Diego State-bound P.J. Samiere 1 up and faces Aoshima on Friday.
Cole Shintaku will face Isaac Jaffurs in the opening quarterfinal match and Doug Williams, the oldest player in the quarterfinals at 56, takes on Saka.
Williams, a Manoa Cup regular since the late ’90s, has more than kept pace in a field of high school and college golfers with steady play throughout the week.
"My game isn’t very spectacular but I don’t hit a lot of bad shots," Williams said. "This course is all about hitting fairways and just plodding through and not making any dumb mistakes."
Williams manages condominiums in Waikiki and splits his year between Honolulu and Hong Kong. But he times a visit for Manoa Cup week each year.
"I play (OCC) once a year. … It takes a few days to get used to the greens again and remember what clubs to hit," said Williams, who reached the third round last year.
"This is such a fun course to play. The greens are perfect. These are the best greens I’ve played anywhere. I’ve played tournaments all over the world and these are the best greens to putt on."
