Okino, Oride, Sakamoto chase stroke play crown

Cyd Okino, Kelli Oride and Nicole Sakamoto are so close going into today’s final round of the Hawaii State Women’s Stroke Play Championship they are arranged alphabetically.

Okino, a two-time State Match Play champion, takes a one-shot advantage into the final threesome. She fired a 3-over-par 75 in Wednesday’s second round, giving her a 145 total.

Okino traded the lead with Oride (74) through the final 13 holes at Mid-Pacific Country Club, where rain, blustery winds and suffocating humidity blew in and out all day —sometimes on the same hole.

The day’s low round, on a day hardly designed for low rounds, came from Sakamoto, the three-time defending champion. She transformed two birdies, two bogeys and five hours of consistency into an even-par 72. That gives her a chance to become the first in this tournament’s 47-year history to win the title four straight years.

"She’s a really good fighter," Okino said. "She knows how to fight back, and when she has a lead she knows how to hold it."

Sakamoto and Okino have known each other more than half their lives, working with Casey Nakama and Lance Suzuki since they were kids at Olomana Golf Links. They will be together again today with Oride, who is from Kauai and about to enter her junior year at Notre Dame.

She got a ride "home" — to the apartment of brother Cory, who just finished playing for the University of Hawaii — Wednesday from the Okinos. Today’s final group, which goes out at 9:36 a.m., is another example of the small world of Hawaii golf.

These three have helped it expand.

Sakamoto finished a decorated career at James Madison a year ago and has won six of the last nine Hawaii women’s majors she has played. She will be in the first stage of LPGA Qualifying this month.

"This would mean a lot (to win) because it’s the last time I’m going to play it before Q-School. It would help my confidence a lot," Sakamoto said. "Plus, it’s my last amateur tournament, hopefully."

Chasing a record means little to her.

"This is more for my mind-set and to help me correct myself when I do mess up," Sakamoto said. "It will be good practice."

Okino, a junior at Washington, has two Hawaii State Open women’s championships and a U.S. Women’s Open appearance to go with her match-play titles.

Oride has a pair of top-20 Big East finishes and was runner-up twice at the state high school championship.

Both are dedicating this summer to golf, after frustrating springs.

"I found out I really needed to work on my game," said Oride, whose only bad swing Wednesday led to double-bogey at the 17th. "My spring season was pretty rough so I’ve been working pretty hard."

Okino, who had a double-bogey early, is working on everything, but mostly approach shots and chipping.

"My chipping stats were pretty horrible and I think my average greens that I hit (in regulation) was seven," she said. "That won’t work."