David Ishii, Dave Eichelberger and Doug Williams tee off Thursday afternoon in the first round of the U.S. Senior Open at Edmond, Okla., under the threat of triple-digit heat and isolated thunderstorms.

It is only fitting. A torrent of Hawaii golfers is following them to the mainland this month for some of the most prestigious amateur events of the year.

Ishii lost a playoff with Williams for Hawaii’s lone slot in the Open, but the Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer got the call to play a week ago. He is in the same threesome as Eichelberger — the 1999 Senior Open champ –at Oak Tree National.

Williams, an amateur playing out of Honolulu but now living in Hong Kong, goes out in today’s final group. The 56-year-old reached the semifinals of this year’s Manoa Cup, but is better known for beating 11-year-old Michelle Wie in her Manoa Cup debut in 2001.

"After I won, it was just stone silent and a bunch of sighs of disappointment. Nobody booed, but everyone was rooting for Michelle," Williams said this week in Oklahoma. "Nobody would believe that an 11-year-old girl would be capable of beating anybody, but Michelle was easily better than half of the field. You could tell she was going to be something super special."

Wie’s success is part of the reason the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association now has so many golfers contending nationally — and internationally.

Jennie K. champion Mariel Galdiano was in Rochester, N.Y., and Nashville, Tenn., last month. The Punahou junior, who won state high school championships her first two years, finished fourth at the Rolex Girls Junior Championship and the Rolex Tournament of Champions, which are both major junior invitationals.

She leaves Friday for Seattle, Flagstaff, Ariz., and Bryan, Texas, to play in the U.S. Women’s Public Links Championship, the U.S. Junior Girls and the 39th Junior PGA Championship.

She won’t be alone. Hawaii’s Rose Huang, Ariel Elftman-Hanson, Kristen Le and Andrew Chin will be at Miramont Country Club the end of this month for the PGA Junior, too.

Huang and Galdiano will also be together at Public Links — along with 13 more Hawaii golfers. Those national championships begin Monday in Kansas (open) and outside Seattle (women)

The Callaway Junior World Championships also start Monday. Hawaii had 35 juniors qualify for that prestigious event, held at 11 courses around San Diego. It started in 1968 and 475 juniors participated, from seven countries and 20 states. This year, there are 1,200 participants, representing 56 countries and 42 states.

Galdiano will not defend her championship in the oldest (15-17) division. It was Hawaii’s 25th Junior World title.

"Since I qualified for the Public Links, and it being the event’s last year, I decided to play in the Public Links," said Galdiano, who has verbally committed to UCLA. "I remember how good it felt to finally get a (Publinx) win after playing the event so many times.

"I personally love San Diego and Torrey Pines, though. The best part of the Junior World tournament is being able to meet many other golfers from all over the U.S. and the world. That is how I met many of my golf friends."

Huang has to pass on San Diego, too, despite being low qualifier at Waikoloa Kings’ Course. She was also medalist at the U.S. Girls Junior Amateur qualifier and will meet up with Galdiano, Malia Nam, Allisen Corpuz and Alanis Sakuma in Flagstaff, July 21-26.

Kyle Suppa and Zackary Kaneshiro will be at the U.S. Junior Am the same week, in The Woodlands, Texas. That same week, Colin Laszlo will represent Hawaii at the Adams Golf Junior Championship, in East Lansing, Mich.

And, from July 19-29, Keilyn Ing, Go Nakatsukasa, Remington Hirano, Acey Yanagishita, Tyler Munetake, Minny Byun, Lorraine Char, Reese Guzman and Kaci Masuda will play the 20th Optimist International Junior Championships, in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Kristen Le, Keegan Loo and Laszlo also have more than 5,000 miles to travel. They are headed to the 46th Trusted Choice Big "I" National Championship next month, in Bridgeport, W.Va.

Galdiano, who has put in several thousand miles the past few summers, has a suggestion for all of them.

"Even though their surroundings will be much different from what they’re used to, don’t be distracted and bewildered," she said. "It’s good to go around the city and have fun, but if you want to do well, you have to feel comfortable on the course and with your game."

Huang, Shawn Lu, Evan Kawai and Allysha Mae Mateo, who won HSJGA state championships earlier this month, have been invited to compete in the Japan High School Golf Association championship, Aug. 7-9.

The HSJGA also named its players for this summer’s team events on the mainland, based on points earned through July 2. Teams are:

Junior America’s Cup: Kyle Suppa, Shawn Lu, Kyosuke Hara, Spencer Dunaway.

Girls Junior America’s Cup: Malia Nam, Aiko Leong, Mari Nishiura, Kristin Le.

Eddie Hogan Cup: Zackary Kaneshiro, Justin Williamson, Tyler Munetake, Justin Ngan.

Mary Cave Cup: Allysha Mae Mateo, Aiko Leong, Mari Nishiura, Kristin Le.