Friday, May 16, 2008
Friday, May 16, 2008
It's the inaugural Mayors Challenge Cup. Actually there was a Mayor's Cup in the past, but the event was revived and revamped through the coaxing of a local attorney. Kerry Komatsubara convinced Mayor Mufi Hanneman to not only announce the renewal of the Mayor's Cup but to tweak it a bit by introducing a challenge between islands. So far Kauai's Mayor Bryan Baptiste has accepted the challenge and it is hoped the islands of Hawaii and Maui will get involved next year.
Each team is made up of 12 amateurs, with three Open Division Men (Championship, A and B Flights), three senior men, three super senior men and three women. Team points are won based on a 36 hole, low-net individual stroke play format.
Honolulu Team: (front row, left to right) David Komori, Jon Mun, Valerie Ing, Allisen Corpuz, Kyle Paishon, Brian Killingsworth. (back row, left to right) Kathy Pickering, Richard Sonomura, Sucuma Elliot, George Salsedo, Jr., Peter DeGuzman, Roger Tom
The oldest member of the team is Richard Sonomura, a 77-year young golfer who entered the Honolulu Qualifying tournament "on the spur of the moment" to win the Men's Super Senior B Flight. Most of the Honolulu Team members are loyal public-links golfers. They are:
Men's Open Championship (Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9): David Komori
Men's Open A (Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Brian Killingsworth
Men's Open B (Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): Kyle Paishon
Men's Senior Championship (50 and older, Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9): John Mun
Men's Senior A (50 and older, Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Sucuma Elliot
Men's Senior B (50 and older, Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): George Salsedo, Jr.
Men's Super Senior Championship (60 and older, Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9): Peter DeGuzman
Men's Super Senior A (60 and older, Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Roger Tom
Men's Super Senior B (60 and older, Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): Richard Sonomura (Age 77)
Women's Championship (Handicap Index not exceeding 11.9): Allisen Corpuz
Women's A ( Handicap Index range of 12.0 to 23.9): Kathy Pickering
Women's B (Handicap Index range of 24.0 to 36.0): Valerie Ing
The Kauai team boasts a Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame member, Art Fujita.
Fujita was the Men's Open Championship (Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9) winner.
KAUA'I TEAM: (front row, left to right) Charles Kawakami, Art Fujita, Kerry Oda, Robert Hiraoka, John Calma, Rand Becker. (back row, left to right) Ed Okamoto (Director of Wailua Golf Course, with Kaua'i team members), Mary Ann Shintani, Arlene Kawakami, Dennis Makiya, Cindy Oda, Pat Viernes, Stan Staulz.
Here's the whole team roster:
Men's Open A (Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Kelly Oda
Men's Open B (Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): John Calma
Men's Senior Championship (50 and older, Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9): Pat Viernes
Men's Senior A (50 and older, Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Stan Staulz
Men's Senior B (50 and older, Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): Dennis Makiya
Men's Super Senior Championship (60 and older, Handicap Index not exceeding 7.9): Robert Hiraoka
Men's Super Senior A (60 and older, Handicap Index range of 8.0 to 15.9): Rand Becker
Men's Super Senior B (60 and older, Handicap Index range of 16.0 to 25.0): Charles Kawakami
Women's Championship (Handicap Index not exceeding 11.9): Mary Ann Shintani
Women's A ( Handicap Index range of 12.0 to 23.9): Cindy Oda
Women's B (Handicap Index range of 24.0 to 36.0): Arlene Kawakami
Both sides have the top 12 players in their flights, culled from the hundreds who turned out to qualify for the chance to represent!
The "Challenge" competition held at the worlds' busiest golf course, the Ala Wai golf course, close to the shores of Waikiki.
The official starter, the youngest golfer in recent history to qualify for a PGA Tour event, the Sony Open in Hawaii, was Hawaii's Tadd Fujikawa.
The official greeting by Mayor Hannemann kicked off the event early on Saturday. He greeted the Oahu team, and the stood in for Mayor Baptiste, who had to be in Japan.
After the coin toss, the players took it away. It was a hot, humid, sometimes windy weekend but the players all took it in stride. In the end, Oahu came out on top. The final score: Oahu 9 points, Kauai 3 points.
This inaugural golf event was funded completely by private sponsors. Next year's tournament will take place on Kaua'i. And both Mayors sincerely hope the other counties will also join in for the friendly competition.
Thank you to Mona Wood, IKAIKA Communications and Ken Tsui for the great photos of the event.
USA HAWAII JAPAN CUP
Another first in what will hopefully begin a new tradition began the same weekend Mayor's Challenge Cup.
With the help of very generous support of sponsors both here and Japan, and hard work from many involved in the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, the dream of a Kauai man came true.
Ryo Ogawa came to Hawaii back in 1971 from Japan to play high school football. He stayed. As Mr. Ogawa told me in an email back in 2005, he really wanted to get an exchange going between Hawaii and Japan junior golfers. In 2004, Ogawa got in touch with the Japan Junior Golf Association and followed up with a trip to Japan where the JJGA invited four players from Hawaii to play in Japan. Ogawa told me how important he felt this type of international experience is for young people. Ogawa called it "priceless. It has changed my life and that is the reason why I reside on Kauai now."
This year, the USA Hawaii-Japan Junior Cup was born with 22 players, students from Japan, coming to Hawaii to take on the 22 junior golfers from Hawaii at the Waikoloa King's course.
Hawaii team members were: Zakry Akagi-Bustin, Alika Bell, Pono Calpi, Alex Ching, Alex Chu, Kelii Dias, David Fink, Bou-An Fujieki, Taekoo Kim, John David Nako, Henry Park, Jared Sawada, Cassy Isagawa, Anna Jang, Kimberly Kim, Kristina Merkle, Elyse Okada, Cyd Okino, Kelli Oride, Tamara Surtees and Britney Yada.
Japan team members were: Yu Morimoto, Naohito Yashiro,Tomoya Takunaga, Hideki Matsuyama, Takashi Nakamura, Yuki Kitagawa, Yujiro Ohori, Mikihito Kuromiya, Hiroki Mori, Kei Naito, Shingo Ito, Sunta Maeawakura, Shinji Tomimura, Mina Nakayama, Miki Sakai, Mayo Yonamine, Asako Fujimoto, Kazuki Ono, Kaori Ohe, Nagisa Hamamoto, and Ayana Kahinohana,
It was a Ryder Cup style event, with the competitors qualifying based on the points they'd accumulated over the past year. There were also sponsor exemptions. Hilo's Kimberly Kim, living in Arizona to hone her game, was invited on the Hawaii team as a sponsor exemption.
After the first day, Team Hawaii was chasing Team Japan and there were four groups who hadn't finished their first day of competition. That meant doubling up on Saturday, with some having to finish their first round event and then jump into second round action. It didn't hurt Team Hawaii. Team Hawaii went into the third day with a 2-point lead. But in the singles matches, Hawaii couldn't hold the lead.
One point was awarded for each match. Halved matches were given 1/2 point each. The Japan team earned 141/2 of the total 22 points to overcome the 2-point deficit to win.
Next years event will be in Hawaii again, at the Kings' Course at Waikoloa Beach and Golf Resort. The third year, the event will take place in Japan and go into an every other year rotation.
In addition to Hilton Grand Vacations Club, thank you to the many tournament sponsors including Koya USA Corp, Hawaii Deep Sea Water and JAL.
The USA Hawaii Japan Junior Cup is an annual fundraising event benefiting the American Cancer Society, the Waikoloa Foundation and both junior golf associations.
HAWAII PRINCE/TAYLORMADE HAWAII STATE OPEN
It must have been a pretty good jolt for PGA Tour player Dean Wilson to have a 15 year old 6 foot tall Punahou High School nipping at his heels at the 2007 Hawaii State Open sponsored again by the Prince Resorts Hawaii and TaylorMade Golf.
Wilson started off with an awesome 5-stroke lead shooting a first round 64 to blow away the field on the first day. But then the putts stopped falling for Wilson, and the weather got iffy with the wind blowing from all directions. The competition got intense on that final day.
If it hadn't been for Wilson's 30-foot eagle putt from the fringe of the 18th green, Joe Phengsavath and John Lynch would have forced a playoff.
Japan Touring professional and Pearl Country Club director of golf David Ishii tied for fourth with Nick Mason.
Larry Stubblefield won the Senior Division, one stroke ahead of defending champion Leland Lindsay and two better than Ron Kiaaina.
In the women's division, possibly the last year the Hawaii State Open will have a women's division, Cyd Okino pulled off the win with Nicole Sakamoto in second and Kristina Merkle in third.
Before the Open started, the Hawaii Prince Golf Club hosted the Prince Resorts Hawaii/TaylorMade State Open Pro Am.
In first place, with a team score of 62 was the TaylorMade team with Pro Regan Lee and team members Wendell Tom, Eric Yasunaga, Glenn Hirayama and Teresa Chung.
In second place with a score of 66, was the Prince Resorts Hawaii 2 team led by PGA Tour Player Dean Wilson and amateurs Alan Goda, Romy Cachola, Mark Scheibach and Merv Lopes.
The low pro for the day went to Ron Castillo Jr. who scored a 6-under par 66 winning the $500 top pro purse.
The BIG winners are the Aloha Section PGA Foundation and the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. The event raised $20,000 for the charities.
This event is being run by the Aloha Section PGA Foundation and is a charity Pro-Am event that benefited the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association (HSJGA) and the Aloha Section PGA Foundation. The event was able to raise $20,000 for these charities. The Pro-Am featured a professional purse as well as many fabulous prizes for the amateurs from TaylorMade.
The HSJGA was a huge winner. Instead of pocketing the cash, Hawaii Prince/TaylorMade Hawaii State Open winner Dean Wilson gave his cash to junior golf!
Dean Wilson accepting his winning check from Tim Herek, Hawaii Prince Director of Golf. Wilson gave the money to the Oahu Junior Golf Association but wanted to keep the trophy!
The Hawaii State Open Charity Pro-Am kicks off the Hawaii State Open. From Friday, November 16, to Sunday, November 18, golfers from around the state in Hawaii's premier local golfing event.
One of those junior golfers, Bradley Shigezawa, a 15 year old sophomore at Punahou, finished as the top amateur.
Special thanks to corporate sponsors Tour Golf, Inc. and Continental Airlines.
DENNIS ROSE INTERCOLLEGIATE
Another inaugural event was a great success on the Big Island. The Dennis Rose Intercollegiate at the Waikoloa Beach and Golf Resort. Named after the late Dennis Rose, UH Hilo did a great job, coming in second place and only five strokes behind the winner Cal Baptist. Cal Baptist had a team score of 975 and UH Hilo 980.
There were 11 teams from 5 states in the Division II event.
Cal Baptist's girl's coach Lane Pace said his team was impressed with the competition and the venue, the Waikoloa Kings' course. "I'm proud of my girls, winning the first event in school history in such a beautiful setting."
Cal Baptist freshman Malin Thorberg took first place in individual play with three good rounds and a final score of 224.
Hilo's Jayna Shimomura took second with a score of 238. Team mates Nicole Aoki and Kiilani Matsuyoshi tied for 4th at 244.
The Team results for the tournament:
PLACE TEAM SCORE
1ST CAL BAPTIST 975
2ND UH HILO 980
3RD ST. MARTINS 1008
4TH CSU CHICO 1009
5TH CSU SAN MARCOS 1012
6TH MESA STATE 1019
7TH GRAND CANYON 1026
8TH NOTRE DAME DE NAMUR 1031
9TH CSU BAKERSFIELD 1038
10TH CONCORDIA 1054
11TH CSU EAST BAY 1101
12TH SONOMA STATE 1121
The top Individual results for the tournaments:
THORBERG, MALIN 70 78 148 76 224 CAL BAPTIST
SHIMOMURA, JAYNA 78 81 159 79 238 UH HILO
LEONG, KATIE 78 80 158 84 242 CSU CHICO
PRANTE, BABE 76 78 154 90 244 ST. MARTINS
NICLOTTI, ADRIANA 77 84 161 83 244 CAL BAPTIST
AOKI, NICOLE 75 82 157 87 244 UH HILO
MATSUYOSHI, KIILANI 76 78 154 90 244 UH HILO
MAKALEI AMATEUR
The 2nd annual Makalei Amateur Championship was another success. Joshua Evans, a resident of Hilo on the Big Island, took first place honors during the Veterans Day weekend event. Evans score of 147, (73-74), was four strokes better than second place Gabriel Wilson, who scored a (75-76), for a total 151. Kenji Ackert won third with a 156, (81-750.
(left to right) Makalei Golf Club Head Professional Kyle Herzberg with players Pat McGinness, 1st place winner Joshua Evans, Sandy Webb, and Michael Warneke
Sandy Webb won the C Flight, Michael Warneke B Flight, and Pat McGinness A Flight.
The Makalei Amateur Championship, hosted every November by Makalei Golf Club, is open to male and female amateur golfers of all ages. Make your plans to be there next year!
The event follows a 36-hole individual stroke-play format with four flights, including a Championship flight. The low gross score in the Championship flight determine the overall tournament champion.
A portion of the proceeds from the event benefits FRIENDS of The Children's Justice Center of West Hawaii.
BRIDGESTONE PRO SCRATCH
This event started back in 2001 when Bridgestone Sports Del-Marc Fujita decided he wanted to create an event that would allow the top amateurs in the state to play with the top professionals. In a lot of cases that meant some family members could pair up and take on all comers. It certainly has worked. Take this year as an example.
Cousin's Regan Lee and Brandan Kop held onto their first round lead after a final round best ball of two format score of 9-under par 31-32-63 for a tournament total 22-under par 122. In second place at one-shot back 123 was Jerry Mullen and amateur partner Garret Omuro (61-62). In third place was Joe Phengsavath of Mid-Pacific CC and his partner Mark Chun (62-63-125).
40 teams entered this year, a complete sellout, and a whole lot of fun for the participants. The tournament format is a two-man team - one professional and one amateur. The first day is a two-man scramble and the second day is a best ball of two. It is open to all Aloha Section PGA Members, Apprentices and ATPs, with all amateurs playing scratch. The professionals played for a $9,000 purse while the amateurs were awarded $3,000 in merchandise certificates and prizes, along with other contest prizes provided by the sponsor. Thank you to the title sponsor - Del-Marc Fujita of Bridgestone Sports / Precept and the staff at Pearl Country Club.
TURTLE BAY GETS A JAPAN TOURING CHAMP
Turtle Bay Resort has added a second Tour professional. The resort has contract Japan Golf Tour's Kiyoshi Murota to represent the Resort.
Since playing in the Japan Senior Tour, he has won 3 times, including the 2005 JPGA Senior Championship. In 2006, Murota was the JPGA Senior Tour top money winner. And in the Turtle Bay Championship, he came in second to current defending champion Fred Funk.
PING DEMO DAY AT LUANA HILLS
You've heard about "demo" days at the golf courses across the state. Sometimes they turn into mini carnivals, with food and children's rides and golf skills contests. Sometimes it's just the latest golf clubs and the professionals who turn out to help you figure out what club or clubs will work the best for you. It's a great opportunity, the best opportunity, to check out the latest equipment and get tips from the professionals with no obligation to buy!
I thought I'd show you what a "demo" day looks like so you'll know what to expect and Ping just happened to be at Luana Hills when we were there to take the pictures.'
Susan Ericson is also a teaching professional. She owns the Pacific Golf Academy. It's an indoor teaching facility with room to practice your full swing, short game, pitching and putting. Plus she is a certified Ping golf club fitter so you can have your clubs fitted if you stop by the shop on Nimitz Hwy behind Sam Choy's restaurant.
So now you know what to expect and it won't be so intimidating. So chance 'em. Check it out.
BEYOND THE RAINBOW - KAPALUA
You know how often a golf tournament also raises money for charities. Some are designed to do just that and others make it part of their mission. The PGA Tour has raised a billion dollars for charity across the United States and the Friends of Hawaii Charities is the entity in Hawaii charged with overseeing and disbursing all the money raised at PGA Tour, Champions Tour and LPGA Tour events across the state.
You also know how attractive Hawaii is as a golf resort destination.
So what if you put the two of those together and made a tournament for folks to come to Hawaii to play in that raised money for charity.
That's what the Aloha Team Classic is, put together by the Beyond the Rainbow Foundation on Maui.
They're already organizing the next event. It'll be held October 21 - 24, 2008 and you can find out everything about entering at www.alohateamclassic.org.
Stuart Katz has been organizing the event for the past few years and sent over the results from this past event that raised over $15,000 that will be distributed to youth agencies across Maui by the Foundation.
1st place went to a team from Del Paso Country Club but you may recognize two of the people who came in second!
What's in it for you? You get three days of golf, at Kapalua's Plantation course and the Kaanapali's Royal course, continental breakfast every morning, two lunch/award presentations and a dinner/dance Finale that included music by Jimmy Mac and the Kool Kats and a silent auction that included VIP tickets to the Dr. Phil Show.
In addition to thanking all of the companies on Maui for supporting the event, there was a big MAHALO to the Lahaina Complex After School Tutor Project volunteers who worked during the Aloha Team Classic week.
VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!
Between January and February, it's wall to wall professional top tier golf in Hawaii.
The Mercedes Benz Championship begins at the Kapalua Plantation Course on Maui, for winners of the PGA Tour 2007 events, on January 2nd with the Mercedes Benz pro-am (no spots available) and ends with the Fields Open in Hawaii at Ko Olina on Oahu beginning with the pro-am on February 20th (spots available, call 808 671-1727).
In between those two PGA Tour and LPGA Tour events there are the following:
The Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club on Oahu, the first full field event on the PGA Tour begins January 10-13 with two pro-am's on January 9th (spots available, call 808 523-7888). Tickets are available at all First Hawaiian Bank branches.
The MasterCard Championship at Hualala'i on the Big Island, for the winners of the Champions Tour events in 2007, with pro-am's on January 16 and 17 (no spots available). Tickets are available by calling 800 417-2270 or at the gate.
The Turtle Bay Championship on Oahu, the first full field Champions Tour event at Turtle Bay, with pro-am's scheduled on January 23rd and 24th (spots available 808 523- 7888). Call 523 7888 for ticket information.
The SBS Open at Turtle Bay, the first full field LPGA tournament in 2008, with the pro-am on February 13 (spots available 808 523-7888). Tickets available at First Hawaiian Bank.
Now to the VOLUNTEERS
You'll get a free shirt, hat and meals and the excitement of being inside the ropes so if you want to volunteer your time to not only make the event possible but to raise money for charity, GOLF needs you.
Just some of the positions that are open include walking scorekeepers, drivers, communications, marshals, walking scoreboard, gatekeepers and here are the people who'd love to hear from you:
Mercedes Benz Championship on Maui: Kim Corniel 808 669-2440
Sony Open in Hawaii on Oahu: Office staff at 808 523-7888
MasterCard Championship on the Big Island: Dick and Ellen Fearing 808 329-1271
Turtle Bay Championship: 808 523 7888 or to caddy call Jeff Ferry 808 226-2220
SBS Open: 808 523 7888 and to caddy call Jeff Ferry 808 226-2220
Fields Open: 808 722 6950 and caddy information at 808 671-1727
SONY OPEN IN HAWAII
Tadd Fujikawa will be in the field at the Sony Open in Hawaii. The youngest player in history to make the cut in a PGA Tour event, Fujikawa was offered the exemption by the Sony Open in Hawaii corporate sponsor, Sony.
In his last outing as a professional, Fukikawa traveled to Japan to play in the Casio World Open 2007. He missed the cut shooting a 78 and 74, 8 over par with the cut at 4 over. Hawaii's Gregory Meyer made the cut. Meyer has been on the Japan Golf Tour for many years now. Meyer is loved by his fans in Japan. They call him "Gorigori."
MICHELLE WIE
Dottie Pepper wrote an article, although it seemed more like a letter to Michelle Wie's parents, asking them to please back off. Pepper wrote that it was outrageous for Wie's parents to have purchased a home near Stanford so they can be close to Michelle.
Pepper wrote: "This is utter rubbish and it has to stop. Michelle has already sacrificed her childhood, and now her college experience is in jeopardy as well. Let Michelle grow up and make her own decisions. Her play might or might not rebound. But what's happening right now goes way beyond birdies, bogeys and bank accounts. It's stifling the person as well as her game." Pepper writes she doesn't think Michelle has had a lesson in months.
On that topic, rumors are flying that David Leadbetter may quit as Wie's coach, if for no other reason that to not be fired.
In "Golf Observer" they were taking a look into 2008. It will be very interesting to see what happens with Wie. Not only has her agent Greg Nared resigned on the anniversary of her first manager resigning after last year's Samsung, but she has gone through five different caddies and finished the season with her dad B.J. on the bag. It even looks like her teacher David Leadbetter could be thinking of a change or at least protecting himself from getting fired as he told Lorne Rubenstein in this article on the Toronto Globe and Mail "Now with Greg Nared leaving, you feel like this is the Titanic."
CHRISTMAS GIFTS FOR THE GOLFER
In addition to a great new golf shirt, like from a stellar golf course like the Poipu Golf Course, the golfer always needs new Titleist golf balls. You can't go wrong with Titleist. It is the number one selling ball in the world. But you can always take a look in his or her bag to find the ball your golfer likes. They always need golf balls. It also sends that important message: you like the fact that your loved one gets out and gets exercise and stays active!
The other easy answer to what to buy is gift certificate. If you get one for Poipu Golf Course, your golfer can use it for a round of golf or a lesson with a professional or something from the pro shop.
The bottom line: Each golfer has unique likes and dislikes. A gift certificate takes the guess work out of the equation for you and lets the golfer get exactly what they want.
And for you golfers who haven't a clue what to get for your spouse, how about a gift certificate to go see Gigi for makeup and eyebrow shaping at Permanent Elegance.
Or a gift certificate for a great hair cut with Gale at Avance or a manicure with Bev. The number is 942-4005.
But the best gift of all is a free facial. Call Cobey or Mimi at 845-0007. Seriously, just tell them Danielle Tucker sent you. Everyone deserves a little pampering.
Happy Holidays to you and your family. Remember, when you stress out over the details, the only really important one is being with the people you love.
Until Saturday, thank you for your mana and may your hit the sweet spot every time.
Aloha,
Danielle
Host and Producer of "The Golf Club" radio show
Saturday 7am KUMU AM 1500, KONI FM 104.7, KTOH FM 99.9 and KPUA AM 650
