David Fink won’t defend, but Lorens Chan is going for his second title in three years when the 48th annual OCC Invitational tees off today at Oahu Country Club.
Fink, who won the past two Manoa Cups at OCC, is enrolled in summer school at Oregon State. He beat Chan with a birdie on the second playoff hole of last year’s tournament. Fink moved into contention on his home course with a second-round 66. Chan caught him with a 65 the final day.
A year earlier Chan, now an ‘Iolani senior, became the youngest OCC champ when he won at age 14. He also set a record for margin of victory, winning by 13.
Golfers tee off from 6:45 a.m. the first two days, with 50 in the Open flight and 40 in the Seniors (55 and older). The field is cut to the low 30 and ties Friday night, and golfers go out starting at 11 a.m. for Saturday’s final round. The senior competition is decided the first two days.
Others in the field include 1998 champion Brandan Kop, Matthew Ma, Kalena Preus, Todd Rego, Layne Morita and half the University of Hawaii team. Senior players include past champions Gary Kong, Wendell Kop and Mervin Matsumoto, who won both titles in 2003.
Hawaii teams in top 10
Northern California continued its domination of junior team events Wednesday, with its No. 2 squad capturing the Mary Cave Cup at Sycuan Resort’s Oak Glen Course in El Cajon, Calif. Hawaii’s Ciera Min and Alice Kim won the Cup for Hawaii last year, with Marissa Chow and Hee Sue Condry coming in third.
This time, Hawaii’s best showing was ninth, by the team of Lisa Kang and Monique Ishikawa. They shot rounds of 69-76 in the four-ball format and finished 12 back of the winners.
Southern Cal (68—136) was second and Northern California No. 1 tied for third with Colorado at 141.
Kang was tied for fifth individually after opening with a 75. She dropped into a share of 15th with Ishikawa, at 159, after a final-round 84.
Ishikawa closed with an 80. Brittany Fan was 21st, at 85—162. Hawaii’s Alexandra White had to withdraw. Carly Childs (68—140) won.
Northern California also won the 43rd Hogan Cup boys team matches Sunday at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Portland, Ore. It matched juniors from the Western U.S. and Canada. The three best scores from each four-man team counted.
NorCal shot rounds of 218-219 for a 437 total. Hawaii was eighth, at 232-231—463. Medalist Bryson DeChambeau, from Clovis, Calif., was the only golfer to break par, at 72-71—143.
Zachary Braunthal (77—152) led the Hawaii team with a 17th-place individual finish. He was followed by Reese Suzuki (75—153), and Scott Yamashita (82—161) and Justin "Pono" Tokioka (79—161).
Largest golf outing today
Kaanapali’s Kai course will be part of the World’s Largest Golf Outing this afternoon.
The Billy Casper Golf event joins some 100 others, in 27 states, as they attempt to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.
The shotgun tournament starts at 1 p.m. The format is two-person net better ball.
A USGA handicap is not required and all skill levels are encouraged to play.
Visit worldslargestgolfouting.com for more information. The event benefits the Wounded Warrior Project.
On the air
Ko Olina head pro Travis Joerger and Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association president Kathy Ordway will be guests on Sunday’s Emily T. Gail radio show, on 790-AM.
Joerger will discuss Ko Olina and its Patriot Day activities.
Ordway will have an update on the Hawaii State Women’s Golf Foundation and next month’s HSWGA Senior Championship.
