You know that sound your club makes when you've hit the ball perfectly? That sound probably is the one reason why golfers, hackers, keep coming back to the golf course.  Trying to MAKE that sound again. Hitting the sweet spot.

Now what if you could hear the sound your swing makes?
And what if that sound told you where your swing was off?

Yale professor of applied physics Robert Grober has being exploring and revealing this missing link that can truly unlock, reveal, explain what is going on in your backswing!

Grober has been a guest on "The Golf Club" radio show many times. I've featured Grobers' Sonic Golf right here in my column in past issues, the first in December of 2005.  Several months ago, he told me via email he'd rather not be on the show again until he can actually tell you where you can get one of the Sonic Golf devices he has invented.


We are getting closer.

In the current issue of "Golf Digest", on page 89, you can read, "Breaking the Sound Barrier" by Guy Yocum.

It's all about Grobers' Sonic Golf device that fits into the grip end of your club. It's a wireless transmitter that turns the movement of your club into sound. You hear it through a set of headphones. If your club is moving correctly, the sound is a pleasing organ-like hum. If your clubhead speed is changing or out of sync or decelerating, the sound is far from pleasing.

The bottom line is your learning process. Some of us learn through sight, some through feel and others through sound – or a combination of all. Grober is finally giving us "sound learners" something we can really understand.

The unit will be available in October. Grober figures the price around $350. We'll be talking with Grober this month on "The Golf Club".

You can find out more at www.sonicgolf.com where there is a special interactive feature made by the New York Times with Grober explaining his device. You can also pre order one of the devices there.

HAWAII'S GOLF TALENT #1

Five golfers from Hawaii advanced to match play at the U.S Girls' Junior Championship in Lakewood, Washington in late July. Defending US Women's Amateur champion Kimberly Kim, Stephanie Kono, Cyd Okino, Elyse Okada and Ayaka Kaneko. And by the quarterfinals, there were three Hawaii players battling it out for the top spot. Three top spots filled by players from a state with a little over a million people is phenomenal.
 

Ayaka Kaneko, Stephanie Kono and Kimberly Kim

In one quarterfinal match at the U.S. Girls, Kimberly Kim and Stephanie Kono were paired against each other, with Kono knocking Kim out, but it wasn't easy. After 17-year-old Punahou student Kono survived two extra hole matches to lead the semi finalists, Kono battled against a determined Kim. Kono had a two-hole advantage after 12 but Kim cut the deficit and squared the match when she made a ten footer for birdie on the 16th.

Kim had a chance to win it on the 18th if she made a 15-foot putt for eagle. But she didn't. Now we're back into extra holes for Kono, and Kim. The two traded pars for the first four holes. On the 23rd hole of the match, on the par 4, 350 yard 5th, Kim hit her approach just short of the green and Kono put it within 6 feet of the hole.  Kono said she had a "perfect putt up hill, no break at all, so I was very happy with that."  It was a disappointing loss of Kim, (when isn't it!), since she was the stroke play medalist. Kim shot a 62, ten strokes under par, in her first round. But overall, she wasn't happy with her game. As she put it, "I wouldn't be disappointed if I played good and I lost. But I didn't putt good at all and I lost".

It was Sacred Hearts Academy 17 year old Ayaka Kaneko who came the closest to actually winning the event and she made a record along the way and fought it out against one of the toughest competitors. Kaneko beat 16-year-old Sue Kim of Canada over 24 holes. That was the longest quarterfinal match in U.S. Girls' quarterfinal history.

Before that grueling match, Kaneko beat 17-year-old 2007 U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links champion Mina Harigae from Monterey California. Harigae held a 2 up lead after 13 holes but Kaneko dug in and earned a 1 up victory.

So for both Kim and Harigae, their hopes of holding two USGA championships in the same year ended.

Was Kaneko tired after playing the history-making match? "Never. This is my first time going that many holes. Actually I'm not that tired. I just need some sleep."


A long sleep because the next day, she was going into the final 36-hole match for a chance to walk away the winner!

Kaneko's opponent was 14-year-old Kristen Park from California who had never played in a match play event before heading to the 59th U.S. Girls' Junior Championship at the Tacoma Country and Golf Club in Lakewood, Washington.


After her 4 and 3 loss to Park, Kaneko said she was impressed with her opponents consistency and "I couldn't putt at all. That was the difference."

The U.S. Girls' Junior is one of 13 championships conducted every year by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs.

Thank you to the USGA for the use of these great photographs.

US WOMENS AMATEUR

Three Hawaii girls advanced out of stroke play at the U.S. Amateur but only one made it out of the first round of match play. Unfortunately, two Hawaii players were paired against each other in the first round, defending champion Kimberly Kim against Ayaka Kaneko. It was close but Kim came out 1 up.


Mari Chun lost in the first round to Michelle Shin of Florida 1 up. Anna Jang of Aiea and Tamara Surtee of Waikoloa were also in the stroke play portion of the U.S. Women's Amateur but didn't advance to match play. Congratulations to all of the players for their hard work and the will to improve by taking on the challenge of a major U.S.G.A event.

Now it was up to Kim Kim. Let's take it back to those final days in August.

Kim is in the semi finals. If she defends her title, it'll be the first time in 11 years there's been a repeat champion.


In that semi final pairing, she is up against Amanda Blumenherst, who has led her Duke Devils college teammates to three straight NCAA golf championships. The day before, Blumenherst cruised to a 5 and 4 victory over her college and Curtis Cup teammate Jennie Lee. Blumenherst was pretty straightforward about her play.
"I thought I played great. I hit the ball really solid. I'm playing well and have a lot of confidence in my game. It was a lot of fun to have a lot of Indiana family and friends. It's also a little tough on the competitor."

On this day, that competitor was Kim of Hilo, who beat South Korea's Jennifer Song in 21 holes. Kimberly said she was getting very fatigued, which is actually good for her game. Kim told reporters at the USGA, when she gets tired, she relaxes into her game.

But the only thing you really need to know about that final match Kim Kim played, fighting to keep her title, is she birdied just about every hole on the back nine.


Kim played holes 10 through 14, those five holes, 4 under par but Blumenherst matched her and Kim couldn't pick up a hole to catch up.


Blumenherst, with a couple dozen family members and close friends, made seven birdies and no bogeys eliminating Kim 5 and 3. She was unstoppable. Blumenherst had never advanced past the third round in six previous U.S. Golf Association match play tournaments. But that week she was on a roll. But Kim didn't go 10 – 0 in Women's Amateur matches in 2006-07 by giving up when she was down. She battled back, telling her caddie Tom Cermack, "we finally won a hole," when she walked off No. 14 where Kim made her fourth consecutive birdie.

Personally, I was a little perplexed after the third round when Kim told reporters she was a very superstitious golfer and was surprised to win her round. She had told caddie Cermack, if I don't get any further in this event, at least I'll have made it this far. There's a great article in the August 18th issue of GolfWeek by Jay Coffin about Kimberly Kim and how great her golf game really is.

Kim doesn't believe she wins because she is good. She says she wins because she is lucky. You've gotta find the article.

In the final, it was Blumenhurst taking on Maria Jose Uribe, who put a stop to the Blumenhurst momentum and took the championship.


Thank you to the United States Golf Association for allowing me to use these pictures.
 
PLAYER OF THE YEAR

Robert Greenleaf of Makawao Hawaii won the Callaway Golf PGA Junior Series Player of the Year awards in his age division for a second year in a row. Greenleaf earned Player of the Year honors in the boy' 13 to 15 division after playing in seven events on this summer series, finishing with 1330 points. His highlights for the year include the 5th place at Old Waverly in West Point, Mississippi and Stone Creek Golf Club in Urbana Illinois – third place at Westbrook Country Club in Mansfield, Ohio – second place at the University of Georgia Golf Course in Athens George and – his victory over all at the Air Force Academy's Eisenhower Golf Club in Colorado Springs Colorado and at the final event of the year at the Muskogee Country Club in Muskogee Oklahoma. Robs said it was "my goal again this year to get Player of the Year. It feels good to accomplish a goal. I played my game one shot at a time and had fun this summer. For next year, I'd like to take advantage of the opportunities that I give myself."
Since its debut in the summer of 1996, the PGA Junior Series has provided affordable and competitive playing opportunity for boys and girls 13 to 18 at ten venues between May and August.


2007 OPTIMIST INTERNATIONAL JUNIOR

Punahou's Alex Ching of Honolulu came home with the trophy, capturing the top spot in the OIJGC 16 – 18-year-old division at the PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens Florida.

On the third day of play, Ching shot a 4 under 68 and finished with a solid 1 under 71 to win the boys 16-18 year division after his first rounds of 71 and 73. When it came down to the last two days, after the field was cut to 50, Ching said he felt very relaxed and the pressure of holding on to the lead didn't both them. Ching has been competing in the OIJGC tournament five out of the last six years.

Here are the other Hawaii players who competed and the position they finished in their age groups.   

2007 OIJGC LEADERBOARD, July 19 – 25, 2007

10-11 Boys
RICHARD HATTORI - 5
LA'AKEA WARREN - T37
GEORGE CORPUZ - T64

10-11 Girls
KIMBERLIE MIYAMOTO - 24

12-13 Boys
AARON KUNIMOTO - T49
JONAH FONACIER - T55
SKYE INAKOSHI - T75

12-13 Girls
Alina Ching - T8
ALEX CHIARELLA - T16

14-15 Boys
ZAKRY AKAGI-BUSTIN - T17
ALIKA BELL - T23
MICHAEL FAN - 97

14-15 Girls
KELLI ORIDE - 15
RAE-LYN MORIKAWA - T30

2007 OIJGC LEADERBOARD, July 25 - 29

16-18 Boys
ALEX CHING - 1
CORY ORIDE - T14
JARED SAWADA - T143

16-18 Girls
ANNA JANG - T29
BRITTANY ISOBE - T100

Thank you Alan Wong for getting the information back to the islands. Great picture of Alex.

JUNIOR SOLHEIM CUP
The PING Junior Solheim Cup, patterned after The Solheim Cup, features the top-12 girls from the United States against those from Europe. The only girls' team event of its kind at the junior level, the PING Junior Solheim Cup is a PING tournament managed by the AJGA. The team is selected based on a combination of the Golfweek Sagarin Junior Girls Rankings and the AJGA Polo Rankings. The team's captain, Donna Andrews, is a six time LPGA Tour winner and a two time U.S Solheim Cup team member and she picks the final two. The top eight are: Stephanie Kono and Kimberly Kim of Hawaii, and California, Sydney Burlison, Brianna Do, Mina Harigae, Tiffany Lua, Kristen Park and Jane Rah from California and Vicky Hurst and Isabelle Lendl from Florida. Rounding out the team are the two captains picks, Courtney Ellenbogen from Virginia and Allie White from Ohio.
These young women have been competing against one another for years so they know each other's strengths and weaknesses and go up against the European team in September 10 – 12, at the Bastad Golf Club in Bastad Sweden.

AJGA CANON CUP

The West team did it again at the Canon Cup. The West beat the East. Stephanie Kono, Kimberly Kim and Ayaka Kaneko are all Canon Cup players this year. It's an east coast takes on west coast Ryder Cup style event conducted by the American Junior Golf Association. The ten West girls team beat the ten East girls team. This is the third year the West has beat the East.

The number of times I've reported on these young women playing, they might as well have been on a professional tour. They'll walk away knowing whether they want to make this their life or just their sport of choice while working at another passion. The life of a traveling professional is not for everyone.

39TH TRUSTED CHOICE "BIG I" JUNIOR CLASSIC
Cyd Okino had a hole in one are her way to a 7th place finish at the 39th Trusted Choice "Big I" Junior Classic in Crane Creek Country Club in Boise Idaho. Okinos' ace came on the 7th hole of the third round when her ball went in the cup on the 130 yard par 3 hole with an 8 iron. Her final four-day score was 18 over 302. The winner came in 3 over par. Jonathan Keiley of Haiku Maui missed the cut after the first two round.

US KIDS GOLF WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS
Congratulations to Donny Hopoi from Aiea and Allisen Corpuz from Waipahu. Not only did they win their long drive competition at Pinehurst, they won their division titles.
Hopoi, Boys 10 division, drove 242 yards. Corpuz,  Girls 9, won with a drive of 183 yards.
There were 1,175 contestants from 45 states and 32 countries.
Hopoi beat China's Zecheng Dou by three shots in his division.
Corpuz won the Girls 9 with a three-stroke victory over Kapolei's Mariel Galdiano and a golfer from California.
Honolulu's Eimi Kogo finished fourth in Girls 11.  Hilo's Ciera Min took ninth.
Hilo's Nani Yoga was 19th in Girls 12 and Honolulu's Shawn Lu took 12th in Boys 8.

TADD'S SECOND PROFESSIONAL EVENT IN CANADA
Some called it too little too late. I call it showing he's got what it takes turning a potentially disastrous second round in his first appearance as a professional golfer at the Reno-Tahoe Open. Tadd Fujikawa, with his usual optimistic demeanor simply said: "I didn't make the cut in this one, but I definitely learned a lot." Fujikawa had one of the biggest galleries following him. "Hopefully next time I can use the knowledge I gained from this one to do better in the next one." Fujikawa didn't expect to win the Reno Tahoe, his first event played since turning pro. I didn't expect him to make the cut. I expected he'd play the best he could and that's what he did. His back nine in his second round was the kind of golf he played when he won the Hawaii Pearl Open and placed 20th in the Sony Open in Hawaii, birdie after birdie. But isn't the money important to him? "I think it's more of a pride thing for me than the money," Fujikawa said Tuesday after a practice round at Montreux Golf & Country Club on the edge of the Sierra Nevada. "I think giving back to the community and treating people the way you want to be treated - giving back to junior golf - I think is really important," he said. "That is more important to me right now, to show I treat people very nicely. That's what my parents have taught me throughout my life... I'd rather have (fans) see that than say, `Oh, he's a really good player but his attitude stinks."' But doesn't the $540,000 winner's check interest him just a little bit? "Not really," he said with a laugh. "Maybe for my parents or my family. For me, I just want to go out and have fun."

Right now Fujikawa is back in his Moanalua High School classes waiting to play in his next event, after his appearance at the inaugural Jane Rogers Championship of Mississauga at the Lakeview Golf Course in Ontario, Canada from August 20th to the 26th, after my deadline.

2007 STATE AMATEUR WOMEN'S STROKE PLAY CHAMPIONSHIP MID PACIFIC
Xyra Suyetsugu won the 2007 Hawaii State Amateur Women's Stroke Play Championship at Mid Pacific Country Club on Thursday. Her final round 74 gave her a total 5 over par 221, five strokes ahead of Nicole Sakamoto and Hayley Young who finished at ten over 226.

KONO PICKS UCLA
Stephanie Kono has been very quiet about where she was going to attend college after she graduates from Punahou. It's out now. She'll become a Bruin, with a full scholarship to UCLA. Kono didn't play in many events, but she reached the quarterfinals of the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship in Lexington, Ky., losing to eventual champion Mina Harigae, and gained the semifinals of the U.S. Junior Girls in Lakewood, Wash., by taking out Kim, only to lose to the eventual champion again, Kristen Park, who beat Ayaka Kaneko in the 36-hole final.

LPGA MAKES HISTORY

There were some in the world of women's golf afraid the women's first opportunity to play at St. Andrews might be an embarrassment. Would the home of golf prove to be too much of a challenge for the women in golf?
Laura Davies said it was the most beautiful course she has set foot on. She also refused to set foot inside the clubhouse, which has always refused women entry. She changed outside at her car rather than go where she wasn't wanted.

When the top players in the world finished, they more than proved themselves and Lorena Ochoa finally had her major.

Ochoa led all four rounds and was in front from the ninth hole Thursday.
She was six ahead after the third round and won by four strokes.


Ochoa battled 35-mph wind Saturday and teeming rain Sunday to win the Women's British Open, the fourth and final major on the LPGA Tour. She closed with a 1-over 74 to finish at 5-under 287.

Jee Young Lee and Maria Hjorth shot 71s to tie for second at 1 under. The four-stroke lead at the end was the closest anyone got all day.

"This is my fifth year on the tour and my first time ranked No. 1 in the world," Ochoa said. "And there were a lot of people saying that I wasn't good enough or that I couldn't win a major or when am I going to win a major.

"And I have always taken all the comments and understood very well because I didn't win. I think that now it's a big step forward. I did it and there's no more to say."

PGA MCGLADREY TEAM CHAMPIONSHP


Team Makena shot a two person better ball score of 8 under par 136, two shots better than second place Team Oahu Country Club at 138 with PGA Professional Andrew Feldman, and his amateurs Stuart Chun, Percy Higashi, and Carlton Lee.  This is the first year the PGA of America is managing and operating this event that follows in the tradition of the former Buick scramble.  This year, there were teams from all across the state and hopefully it'll grow.
For more information go to www.pga.com/teamchampionship

THE CHALLENGE CUP

The first inter-county golf tournament is coming together nicely. The final meeting about the inaugural Mayors' Challenge Cup between Oahu and Kauai, announced by Mayor Mufi Hanneman and Kauai Mayor Bryan Baptiste, is September 4th at Ted Makalena Golf Course at 7:30 PM. There will be qualifying events on both islands culminating in two teams. Each team will have three women and nine men who are residents of their respective island. Qualifying on Kauai will be September 28th to October 14 at Wailua Municipal Golf Course. Oahu's team will be the results of qualifying at Ala Wai Golf Course October 6th and 7th.  The Challenge Cup will be played at Ala Wai November 11th and 12th.

SENIOR AMATEUR QUALIFIER

Ron Cherney came to Hawaii for the one qualifying spot on Monday at the USGA's Senior Amateur qualifier at Makalei and beat Honolulu's Wendell Kop and Frank Manuma and California's Jim One by one stroke. Manuma birdied the second playoff hole to earn the alternate spot over Kop.

TIGER'S THIRTEENTH MAJOR VICTORY


Tiger Woods won the final major of the year at the PGA Championship held in the sweltering Tulsa, Oklahoma heat at the Southern Hills Country Club. This is his 13th career major, ever closer to his goal of surpassing the record Jack Nicklaus set with 18 major victories.

Is Woods at the top of his game? Not yet. Woods says he expects to become a more complete golfer over the next seven years. What got him through the heat that knocked out 264 people just watching?


"Physical fitness is always a huge advantage, especially when you play any sport and you have heat and anything that wears you down mentally and physically," he said. "When I walked up 18, I felt the same way as I did going off the first tee. I felt great.

"Other guys may have gotten tired and you see their shoulders slumping and dragging a little bit. You should always train hard and bust your butt. That's what a sport is, it is to do that. And not everyone considers golf a sport and they don't treat it as such."

Tiger was asked to compare this year to last year.

He said last year was a great year on the golf course but a terrible year personally with the death of his father. This year has been an okay year professionally, but a great year personally with the birth of his baby.

Woods said he'd never had the feeling he experienced coming off the green to sign his card with his wife Elin and his baby, Sam, waiting for him.

"It's a feeling I've never had before," Woods said after turning back a brief scare to win the final major of the year. "Having Sam there and having Elin there, it feels a lot more special. And it used to be my mom and dad. And now Elin, and now we have our own daughter. So it's evolved, and this one feels so much more special than the other majors."


POIPU KAMA'AINA SPECIAL

Poipu Bay Golf Course, on Kauai's south shore, is offering a "Four Play for the Price of Three" kama'aina special through the end of the year. For Hawaii residents, that means the kama'aina green fee goes down to 50 dollars a person for groups of four kamaaina players. That price is good or any day of the week at any time of the day, even the peak morning hours. A Hawaii driver's license is required for each player to qualify for the offer.


Poipu Golf Course was designed by Robert Trent Jones Jr. on 210 oceanfront acres on the south shore of Kauai. For more information about Poipu, visit www.poipubaygolf.com.

PRESIDENTS CUP

JACK Nicklaus opted for form and youth while Gary Player went for match play experience when naming their captain's picks yesterday for next month's Presidents Cup in Canada.

Nicklaus chose Lucas Glover and Hunter Mahan as his wildcard selections for the US team. Player went for Australia's Nick O'Hern and Canadian Mike Weir to complete his 12-man International line-up. Since they're playing in Canada, it was kind of expected even though Weir hasn't been performing as well as in the past.

Glover and O'Hern were expected to be included after being next in line for selection according to the final Presidents Cup standings. The 25-year-old Mahan, 14th in the US Cup rankings, has been one of the game's hottest players over the past two months.

The seventh Presidents Cup will be held from 27-30 September at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

US team: Tiger Woods, Jim Furyk, Phil Mickelson, Zach Johnson, Charles Howell III, Scott Verplank, David Toms, Steve Stricker, Stewart Cink, Woody Austin, Lucas Glover, Hunter Mahan.

International team: Ernie Els, Adam Scott, Vijay Singh, Geoff Ogilvy, KJ Choi, Rory Sabbatini, Retief Goosen, Trevor Immelman, Angel Cabrera, Stuart Appleby, Nick O'Hern and Mike Weir.

FREECYCLE

While researching for my golf show and column, I sometimes come across some interesting items that we can use as a community. The most recent is something called "FreeCycle". It's an online swap meet but money isn't the object.

Let's say you've got a wooden desk, a load of rubble, or loads of empty toilet paper rolls? All of those items found homes through FreeCycle. There are FreeCycle sites in 75 countries with more than 3 million members. You can find out more at FreeSharing.org.

One woman to help furnish 167 apartments for Hurricane Katrina evacuees used FreeCycle. Another member rebuilds old appliances and bicycles and gives them to people in need.

WAHINE O HAWAII KAI OPEN

The folks at the Hawaii Kai golf course are happy to be hosting the newest event on Oahu, one for women golfers. It'll be at the Hawaii Kai Championship course December 3rd and 4th and open to golfers of all skill levels. It's the brainchild of Hawaii Kai general manager Peter Suemori, who is retiring from that position but will be in charge of the new tournament and still work for the owner of the golf course, Atsugi Kokusai Kanko (Hawaii) Inc.

TIPS FOR YOUR MAKEOVER

A tip for ladies who like to look their best on the golf course but don't want that "made up" make up look, check out Avi P. Cosmetics.  The foundation has both sun damage protection agents in it, so you're protected from the sun's burning and its aging rays plus the look is natural.

The best place to go check out Avi P. Cosmetics is "Permanent Elegance". You can see all of the colors, beautiful smooth, silky foundation and the best concealer.

Here is a link to Avi P. Cosmetics: www.naturalcolor.biz/store
Or contact Gigi: gigi@avipcosmetics.com

"Permanent Elegance" is in the University area, 2570 So. Beretania, between Burger King and Jiffy Lube, with parking in the front of the building. The number is 808 944 8881.
 
"Permanent Elegance" also specializes in permanent makeup. Gigi is the person to ask for. She is a master at the art.

"Permanent Elegance" isn't just for women. Men would benefit from a little eyebrow grooming with Gigi at "Permanent Elegance". I know it sounds weird, guys, but you'll be surprised how much of a difference it'll make in your overall look. Believe me, some of THE well-known men in town and country trust their eyebrows to Gigi at "Permanent Elegance"!

Now for your hair and nails, visit Avance.
Gail has been known for her perfect hair cuts for men and women.
Her salon started off in the Honolulu Club. She is now near the Nordstrom store. It's about a block down with plenty of free parking on the first floor up from street level.
Call 942 4005 for your appointment.
Bev does beautiful nails!

"The Golf Club" radio show in on Saturday morning at 7 AM on four radio stations and streaming live at www.radiogolfclub.com Log on for the station on your island!

Thank you for your Mana and may you hit the sweet spot every time!

Aloha,

Danielle

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