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Sports

Ishii, Fujikawa, Wilson in State Open

David Ishii, Dean Wilson and Tadd Fujikawa are entered in the Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open, to be played Dec. 17-19 on the Palmer and Fazio courses.

Arizona pro Jesse Mueller will defend his championship. He won by seven shots over Wilson last year. Kirk Nelson captured the seniors title. LPGA player Katie Kempter won a playoff with Xyra Suyetsugu and three-time champ Cyd Okino to take the women’s championship.

Wilson won in 2007 and Ishii captured three state open titles, the last in 1985. Jarett Hamamoto, who won as an amateur in 2005, will play as a pro.

Others entered include Rudy Cabalar Jr., who won this year’s state high school championship at Turtle Bay, Allisen Corpuz, Dave Eichelberger, David Fink, Kevin Hayashi and Dean Prince.

Players go out from approximately 7 a.m. each day. The tournament is open to all professionals and amateurs with a USGA index of 10.4 or less for men and 18 or less for women.

Golfers can enter online at aloha.pga.com or by calling the Aloha Section PGA office at 593-2230.

Murphy a double winner

Steve Murphy, Director of Golf at Princeville’s Prince Course, is the winner of two of the Aloha Section PGA’s major awards for this year. Murphy earned Professional and Merchandiser of the Year (resort properties) for 2010.

Other winners are: John Harman (Bill Strausbaugh Award), Art Rego (Junior Golf Leader), Kirk Nelson (Assistant Pro), Greg Nichols (Horton Smith Trophy), Kevin Hayashi (Teacher), Neal Takara (Sales Representative) and Jerry King (President’s Plaque). Mark Sousa (private) and Tim Murphy (public) are the other Merchandisers of the Year.

Winners will be recognized at the annual meeting Sunday. The annual Golf Industry Conference, originally scheduled for the following day, has been postponed until "early next year."

Play time at Poipu Bay

Poipu Bay Golf Course is accepting reservations for play, starting on its re-opening date of Dec. 16. The course has been closed since April for renovations, which include a "comprehensive greens refurbishment."

Visitors can make tee times up to 30 days in advance. Rates for the coming year are $240 for prime time, $145 from noon to 2:20 p.m. and $85 twilight (after 2:30 p.m.).

Kamaaina can make times up to seven days ahead. Kauai residents are $68 and other residents $75. There is also a Kamaaina Foursome Special, with four playing for the price of three.

For online tee times visit poipubaygolf.com/rates.html, or call (808) 742-8711. The clubhouse will also re-open full time Dec. 16.

Alex Ching wins

Alex Ching fired his third straight 67 Tuesday to win the Western Refining All-America Golf Classic at El Paso (Texas) Country Club.

The tournament field is made up of last year’s All-Americans. It included five players among the top 10 in the Golfweek/Sagarin College Rankings. NCAA champion Scott Langley and U.S. Amateur champ Peter Uihlein both finished 15th.

Ching, a Punahou alum and junior at University of San Diego, is ranked 87th. He held the 36-hole lead in the past two NCAA Championships, finishing 13th in 2009 and second in 2010. Ching also made it to the Round of 16 at the U.S. Amateur.

Also, Ching, the 2008 state high school champion, is a candidate for the 2011 U.S. Walker Cup team. Ching is one of 16 golfers invited by the USGA to a winter practice session in Florida in January. The 43rd Walker Cup Match will be in September at Royal Aberdeen Golf Club in Scotland. The team competition features the best male amateurs from the U.S. and Europe.

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