Jared Sawada and TJ Kua enter today’s final round of the Pearl Invitational golf tournament tied for the lead in the Professional Flight at 5 under par and Isaac Jaffurs holds a one-shot lead in the Championship Flight.

Kua shot a 2-under-par 70 on Friday, while Sawada, the first-round leader, carded a 71. Cory Oride and Todd Rego are tied for third at 2 under. Rego turned in the low round of the day with a 4-under 68.

Jaffurs followed up his 69 in the opening round with an even-par 72 to end the day at 3 under, a shot ahead of AJ Teraoka. Zackary Kaneshiro is another stroke back at 1 under.

Other division leaders are Jarryd Sumoba Gano (A Flight), Craig Ota and Gary Sato (B Flight) and Carl Ho and Mike Kawate (Senior Flight).

Trio advance at big-wave event

Hawaii’s Makua Rothman, Albee Layer and Kai Lenny advanced to today’s semifinals of the Puerto Escondido Challenge in Mexico, the first event of the World Surf League Big Wave Tour season.

Rothman, last season’s runner-up and 2014-15 champion, won his heat with a 26.80, which included a near-perfect 9.50. Layer (12.83) and Lenny (12.66) both advanced out of the same heat and will be in the semifinals with defending champion Greg Long.

Eliminated in Friday’s heats were Hawaii’s Koa Rothman, Billy Kemper and Trevor Carlson.

U.S. outlasts Belgium in World League

Hawaii’s Micah Christenson had four aces, including the match-ender, as the U.S. men’s national volleyball team defeated Belgium 3-2 in a FIVB World League pool-play match in Rome on Friday.

Christenson (Kamehameha) added 33 assists, five digs, three blocks and two kills in the 17-25, 25-20, 25-21, 21-25, 15-10 victory. Libero Erik Shoji (Punahou) had five digs, while brother Kawika Shoji (‘Iolani), the reserve setter, did not play.

The U.S. (3-1) plays Australia (0-4) today.

Punahou grad Macfarlane still undefeated

Punahou alum Ilima-Lei Macfarlane improved to 4-0 in her professional mixed martial arts career with a second-round submission victory over Rebecca Ruth in a flyweight bout at Bellator 157 on Friday night in St. Louis.

Macfarlane stopped Ruth (6-2) with a rear-naked choke at the three-minute mark of the second round after a very close first round.

Macfarlane scored her third takedown early in the second round and immediately worked for the choke. Ruth escaped it, ripping Macfarlane’s hands away from her neck and eventually got back to her feet.

Macfarlane, still hooked on to Ruth’s back, sunk in the winning choke while Ruth was standing, forcing her to tap as she dropped to the ground.

The 2009 Buffanblu graduate won her second career fight by submission and has been taken to the third round only once.