After 65 years, the Jennie K. Wilson Women’s Invitational remains a golf tournament cherished for its ability to identify Hawaii’s finest female golfer while simultaneously putting on a uniquely Hawaiian party.

A year ago, Mariel Galdiano shattered the Jennie K. scoring record, ripping through Mid-Pacific Country Club in 10-under over 54 holes. Last week, the Punahou junior became the first golfer to win three consecutive state high school championships, then qualified for her third U.S. Women’s Open.

In Friday’s opening round of the Jennie K., Galdiano and Millburn Ho will play in the same group, hitting their opening drives alongside the ti leaves and bottle of gin always on the tee to inspire good luck and better weather.

Ho, a 13-year-old with braces who has finally outgrown her golf bag, will be joined by her mother, Adeline Show, in the Jennie K. field.

Ho was a black belt in taekwondo at 6 and is now a six-time Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Player of the Year with a plus-3 handicap. Show is a 15-handicapper who will play in the C Flight.

"The tournament is older than our combined age," Show smiles. "I’m 50. I can play seniors now."

What she can’t do is beat her bespectacled daughter, who refuses to give her strokes when they golf together.

"Sometimes we go on the golf course to play and she asks me for advice," Ho said. "She might ask about green speed and where the ball will go. Sometimes I help her with her swing. Then I charge her."

They won’t play together this weekend, but they will be able to soak up the Jennie K.’s special ambience as a family. No Hawaii women’s tournament comes close to its rich history and wonderful atmosphere.

Coincidentally, Ho finally turned old enough to play the same year her mother got her handicap below the maximum of 24. Then Millburn did a little research on the family’s first tournament together.

"I heard that Jennie K. was a dancer in the court of King Kalakaua," the Niu Valley seventh-grader said of the late wife of former Honolulu Mayor John Wilson. "She supported women’s golf, but she never actually played golf."

Ho and her mother do, a lot.

For the past four years, Millburn has taken a lesson every week from Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Lance Suzuki, at Casey Nakama’s Academy. She plays almost every day at Oahu Country Club and wakes at 5 a.m. twice a week to go to 6 a.m. conditioning.

Her mother takes two lessons a week from Suzuki, and plays almost as much as her daughter at OCC. She got the golf bug in a bad way, just as her daughter did after watching her father hit golf balls when she was 3 years old.

"She hits the ball solid and she is hard-working and dedicated," Ho said of her mom’s game. "Once she sets her mind to something she goes for it."

Show is even more impressed with her daughter’s game, and senses an innate gift.

"She’s my daughter, I’m just so proud of her," Show said. "The best part of her game is her natural touch, where she lands the ball. She is one of the rare ones with a very natural touch. I’m so proud of her.

"She tells me she’s proud of me. I tell her I shot 102, and she says, ‘Oh, that’s not bad.’"

It won’t be good enough this weekend, at least not for Ho.

Along with Galdiano, players in the championship flight include ‘Iolani senior Rose Huang, ‘Iolani and University of Hawaii alum Charlee Kapiioho, three players from Japan, OIA champ Malia Nam and Jennifer Koga, Ho’s best friend and yet another gifted member of the class of 2020.

"I just want to go out there, have fun, collect memories my first time and play my game," Ho said. "Since I’m playing with Mariel, I want to watch her and learn from her because she’s such a good golfer. She is amazing."

Galdiano turns 17 two weeks before the 70th U.S. Women’s Open tees off in Pennsylvania. She has already committed to UCLA for 2016 and said her goal this week is much the same as Ho’s.

"I just want to play as best as I can and with all my heart and whatever the outcome is, I will gladly accept it," Galdiano said. "For this next Women’s Open, it would be amazing and an honor to make the cut and truly measure myself with the best women golfers in the world."

Galdiano won Saturday’s 36-hole U.S. Women’s Open Sectional qualifier at the Royal Ka‘anapali Course. She had rounds of 76-73 in blustery weather to beat Punahou teammate Aiko Leong by six shots for the lone qualifying slot.

Symetra Tour player Shayna Miyajima, from Maui, was second alternate in the 16-woman field, which included three golfers from the mainland.