A year in the making, this is your 2011 Asia Pacific Junior Cup Hawaii Team.

Zachary Braunthal (Honolulu), Alex Chiarella (Makawao), Marissa Chow (Honolulu), Jonah Fonacier (Mililani), Mariel Galdiano (Pearl City), Richard Hattori (Honolulu), Skye Inakoshi (Honolulu), Lisa Kang (Honolulu), Eimi Koga (Honolulu), Seungjae Maeng (Honolulu), Margaret Min (Honolulu), Ciera Min (Hilo), Kenji Miyata (Kapaa), John Oda (Honolulu), Kalena Preus (Honolulu), and Pono Tokioka (Lihue).

Richard Hattori is top of the class on the Boy’s team and in the Boy’s 15-18 Play of the Year points race with 2860.0 points. Zachary Braunthal and Alex Chiarella are close behind with 2679.7 and 2340.0 respectively.

Lisa Kang leads the Girls 15-18 Player of the Year race with 3497.5 points.
Eimi Koga and Margaret Min follow with 2750.0 and 2720.0 respectively.
Here’s a link to the website with all the information including how to become a member: http://www.hsjga.org

The HSJGA determines Player of the Year through a points system, much like the LPGA and PGA of America do. The PGA Tour does it by ballot.

Those PGA Tour ballots, by the way, are about to go out, two weeks later than originally planned. It's a controversial delay in the balloting. The PGA Tour says it was an oversight when the WGC-HSBC Champions event, which counts in the 2011 POY race, was left out. Luke Donald looked like the favorite after his commanding win at the Children's Miracle Network Hospitals Classic.

The fifth annual Asia Pacific Junior Cup is played like the Ryder Cup or the Solheim Cup. The Hawaii juniors are paired and compete against pairs from the Japan team, the top junior golfers in all of Japan. They’ll play Four-Ball and Foursome matches before finishing with the Singles matches at the Waikoloa Kings Course on the Big Island.

Our Hawaii junior golfers have been working to get on the team for a year, just like the professionals do on the PGA Tour, European Tour and the LPGA Tour when they work their way onto the Ryder, Solheim or Presidents Cup teams. Just no Captains picks to create controversy and isn’t that a good thing.

The junior golfers, and their parents, have been traveling intra- and inter-island all year, honing their games to become the best in their age group and to accumulate points. Each event they play in is worth a set number of points. It does help if you have the means to get to as many of the events as possible and you’d be surprised how many relatives step up to help the children achieve their goals.

The junior golfer program is for kids between the age of 7 and 17.  Some just started and some have been “on tour” since they became members of the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. Some of the current golfers on the Asia Pacific Junior Cup team have been looking up to the “big” kids who got to play in the Asia Pacific Junior Cup for as long as they’ve been playing golf. 

Skye Inakoshi was once one of those “little kids” who comes to my mind when I think about the road our Hawaii team has traveled. He has been playing in all the junior golf events since the age of 7. Now he’s not only one of the big kids, he’s playing on the big team.

BENEFIT FOR TSUNAMI RELIEF IN JAPAN

Out of the headlines but the work to put back together what a tsunami so quickly tore apart continues in Japan. The help is still needed.

Immediately following the Asia Pacific Junior Cup, a Junior Am tournament will be held on Sunday, November 20th at Waikoloa Kings’ Course.

If you’d like to play, you can register by contacting Kevin Ginoza at the Waikoloa Beach Resort Kings’ Course at 808-886-5375. The deadline is November 14, 2011.

A portion of Junior Am will benefit the HSJGA, the Waikoloa Foundation and the American Red Cross for Tsunami Relief in Japan.

2012 AND 2013 JR. AMERICA’S CUP

Every 18 years, Hawaii has the opportunity to be the focus in the world of junior golf and the time is now to get organized.

The Hawaii State Junior Golf Association is host to two three-day international events, the Girls’ Junior America’s Cup Championship in 2012 and The Junior America’s Cup in 2013.

The Wailea Gold Course will be the tournament site. Wailea Resort has generously agreed to make its course available for the event.

The competition brings 18 teams from the Western United States, British Columbia, Alberta, Canada and Mexico. For each event, 72 players and 36 Captains will be participating.

You’ll recognize the names of some of the people who played the Girl’s Junior America’s Cup and the Junior America’s Cup: Lorena Ochoa, Pat Hurst, Ryann O’Toole, Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Ricky Barnes, Peter Jacobsen and Anthony Kim.

The HSJGA is looking for hands on help or cash sponsors:

1. Volunteers to help run the tournament, like rules officials, score keepers, starters and standard bearers.
2. Host families to house all 18 teams. Maybe you’d like to host a team from your country or your home state.
3. Trophies and awards.
4. Printing for banners, Tee signs, Tournament signs, and programs.
5. Ground transportation whether bus or rental car

Then there is the food and beverages for on course snacks, lunches and dinners; the player gifts like beach towels and pareo, Hawaiian coffee, Mac nuts and cookies; the lei for opening and closing ceremonies and the special luau or as the HSJGA says in its press release: You name it, we love it!

The list is long, and I haven’t included it all.  Shows you how much goes into putting on a golf tournament that will showcase our community.

If there is anything you can do, the number is 808-532-0559.

HYUNDAI TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

For the thirteenth year in a row, the 2012 season of the PGA Tour kicks off in the Hawaiian Islands at Kapalua on Maui. 
 
The 2012 PGA Tour released the 2012 season schedule and it is huge. There are 45 tournaments on the PGA Tour schedule with multi-million dollar purses. The Tour is doing an amazing job in a less than stellar economy with events fully sponsored, increased purses and some creative scheduling in the case of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions that goes up against the football giants for television audience share.

Hyundai Tournament of Champions begins with the Pro Am on Thursday, January 5th. The competition begins on Friday, January 6th and will end on Monday, January 9th. That gives Hawaii a much better chance of getting the eyes in deserves on TV. The Sunday TV coverage will end 30 minutes before the BCS Bowl game. Perfect. 

How much longer this mega event, with a multi-million dollar purse and priceless television exposure for Hawaii, will continue to be played in Hawaii is a question we’ve been asking in recent years. Hawaii’s economy benefits in the short term from the money spent by the wealthy players who come to play and then play tournament golf in Hawaii. Those players bring their families with them. They attract their fans and golf enthusiasts. The economy benefits in the long term by the television exposure and the positive word of mouth we generate. 

For now, all we can do is hope the tournament sponsor likes the end result.

If Hyundai thinks it’ll get more bang for the buck, they’re out of here. There are people all around the world who would like it moved to the West Coast. Heard that argument on television just a couple weeks ago.

Travel time and distance is more convenient to the West coast where the weather is relatively nice in the winter months.  More of the top names in the game may be travel the shorter distance.  I think that’s why Hawaii lost the Grand Slam of Golf to Bermuda. It’s between the East Coast and Europe where more of the top contenders in the game live or work.

In the meantime, lets make the most of a terrific opportunity. All the Hyundai Tournament of Champions ticket sales benefits Maui charities through the recently created Golf for Maui Charities. Any 501c3 organization can promote the sale of tickets to this years Hyundai Tournament of Champions with 100 percent of net proceeds from the sale going back to their charity.

Tournament Director Nancy Cross, “The new ticket structure for 2012 allows the Hyundai Tournament of Champions to have a significant impact on the local economy and our charitable partners,” adding “ We hope charities will get involved with the fantastic opportunity in a time when fundraising is more difficult than ever.”

All 501c3 organization interested in being part of the Golf For Maui Charities should call the tournament office at 808-665-9160

TURTLE BAY AMATEUR

The Turtle Bay Amateur is one of Hawaii’s premier amateur event played on the North Shore at the Arnold Palmer designed Turtle Bay Golf Course.

In the following photos, you are going to see the faces of many of Hawaii’s junior golfers grown up, many now collegiate players, with close ties with family and friends because of their mutual love for the game of golf.  The two top contenders made it a battle of the private schools – Iolani and Punhou with Punahou taking the prize.

I wasn’t able to attend the Turtle Bay Amateur. Thank you to Turtle Bay Resort Director of Golf Matt Hall for the story and the great photos:

“Punahou’s Kalena Preus edged out Iolani’s Lorens Chan to win the 2011 Turtle Bay Amateur. 

Paired together, Preus shot a 1-under 71 on the Resort’s George Fazio Course including an eagle, two birdies, and three bogeys. 

Chan shot a final round two-under par 70, and played the final four holes two under par.  Tied with a tournament total 142 (two-under) it came down to the first playoff hole, the Fazio 9th hole.  Both hit the green with Chan 25 feet away and Preus 12 feet from the hole.  Chan hit his first putt two feet past the hole about, assuring a par.

Preus, with his father as caddy, made his putt to become the 9th Turtle Bay Amateur Champion.  Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame member Brandan Kop finished tied for 4th with 2010 Champion, Rudy Cabalar, Jr. who shot a final round and tournament low 68.

The tournament scoring record for the Turtle Bay Amateur is held by Tadd Fujikawa who won the event in 2006 after posting a 36-hole total 10 under par with rounds of 69 on the Palmer and 65 on the Fazio Course. 

The Turtle Bay Amateur is in its ninth year.

A flight Champion was first round co-leader Jason Hudson, 78 (154 total) on the Arnold Palmer Course. Tyler Ichiki was one stroke back with a two day total of 155.

B flight honors went to Sucuma Eliot who shot 78 (163 total) on the George Fazio Course. Mun Song came in second, one stroke back, with two tied for 3rd and close scoring all the way down the leaderboard.

Bert Fong went wire-to-wire to win the C Flight with a final round 86 (167 total) on the Arnold Palmer Course. Greg Okita finished one stroke back with 2 day total of 168.

Turtle Bay Resort is Oahu’s only 36-hole golf resort and is host to many events throughout the year including the Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open.  The Arnold Palmer Course is a Golf Digest Top 100 Public Golf Course. 

Great support for the Turtle Bay Amateur from Titleist, Nike, Cobra, Bridgestone, Callaway, Tori Richard, Oakley plus the gof courses who gave prizes to the top players including Poipu Bay Golf Course, Kaanapali Resort and Olomana Golf Course.

That’s golf.  See you on the radio or next month right here.

You may want to tune in to the show this month and next to qualify to win a trip for two to San Francisco.

The winner flies with a friend on Hawaiian Airlines to San Francisco, stays four nights in the Park Suite at the Galleria Park Hotel and plays a round for two at the Harding Park Golf Course, where this years Schwab Cup is being played and last years Presidents Cup was held.

All you do is listen to the show when it’s broadcast live and  call the number when you hear the Hawaiian Airlines jet take off.  Twice during the show, we’ll take the 9th caller to qualify for the drawing. At the end of December, we draw the lucky name out of the box and that could be you. I like to think positive.

“The Golf Club” is on the air on Oahu on KGU FM at 99.5 FM Saturday morning from 7am until 8:30am.

On Maui, you can listen on KONI FM, 104.7, on Kauai, KTOH 99.9 FM and in Hilo, on KPUA AM 670.

Prefer a podcast? Pick us up at iTunes or through our RSS Feed at  http://www.radiogolfclub.com . On your smart phone? Get the StitcherRadio application and listen in. Streaming with no charge.

Welcome to the winter season. Hope it cools off soon.

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

Aloha,
Danielle