Moanalua graduate John Oda tied for 34th at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament earlier this month in Arizona to earn starts in the first eight events next season.
He finished at 18 under and by placing in the top 40, Oda is guaranteed a spot in the first eight events of the 2019 regular season, which begins Jan. 13 with The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic.
‘Iolani graduate Lorens Chan tied for 85th, in a field of 135.
Chan finished 38th on the Mackenzie Tour money list this year, with $21,500 in 11 starts. Punahou alum P.J. Samiere was 30th, with $26,500 in 10 and Oda 50th, with $14,153 in three starts.
Juniors earn spots in Challenge
Maui’s Reese Guzman, Hilo’s Isaiah Kanno and Oahu’s Noah Koshi, Kyung Eun Lee and Davis Lee earned their way into the 2019 Hawaii Tourism Authority Pro-Junior Challenge.
The exhibition is Jan. 8 and free to the public at Waialae Country Club. The five professionals from the Sony Open in Hawaii field will be announced. They each team with a junior in a two-person team scramble.
Pros expected at the first PGA Tour full-field event of the year include Luke Donald, Steve Stricker, Brandt Snedeker and former champs Fabian Gomez, Russell Henley, Patton Kizzire, Vijay Singh, Jimmy Walker and Justin Thomas.
Ko Olina to host junior clinic
Ko Olina is hosting a one-hour junior clinic with golf pro and popular YouTube personality Aimee Cho Dec. 27 at 4 p.m. She will be assisted by Ko Olina director of player development Kevin Shimomura.
The clinic is free for children, but organizers are asking for a $20 donation to support the March of Dimes NICU Family Support Program at Kapiolani Medical Center for Women and Children.
Donations are in memory of Bella Hope Rosario, whose brothers and sisters are in Ko Olina’s Ho‘okipa I Po‘okela golf program.
Sign-ups are available online at koolinagolf.com/aimeecho or by calling 676-5300.
