While the wind, Waialae Country Club’s punishing greens and the pressure of a very special opportunity ultimately took down those older and more experienced Monday, 15-year-old John Oda qualified for next month’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
Oda’s breakout golf year is ending with an exclamation point.
The Moanalua High School sophomore helped the Menehune to a third-place finish in the state high school championship, two shots behind first-place Punahou.
This summer, he made it to the final of his first Manoa Cup. The youngest finalist in the 103-year history of Hawaii’s state amateur match play championship went down to defending champion David Fink despite a gutsy late charge fueled by a precocious short game.
Now, after winning Sony’s lone amateur exemption by two shots over Kalani junior Richard Hattori and ‘Iolani senior Lorens Chan, Oda will open 2012 by playing in the PGA Tour’s first full-field event.
“It’s been a pretty good year,” Oda understated. “Always contending.”
And, seemingly, never nervous.
At Manoa Cup, Oda said his new view on golf was that it is just a game, there was no reason to get nervous.”
He has taken those words to his slow-beating heart. The pressure of Monday’s treasured first prize never changed his sweet, safe swing.
“It’s just a game you know,” Oda said. “You don’t have to put pressure on yourself. Just go out and have fun and play the best you can.”
But, at a WCC course buffeted by gusts of up to 30 mph, even Oda was lamenting missed birdie putts from inside 5 feet on the final two holes after signing for a 1-under-par 71.
Meanwhile, those behind him were struggling for par and sometimes bogey.
Hattori, second to Alex Chiarella at this summer’s Hawaii State Junior Golf Association state championship, got in early with his 73. Oda followed and the first three groups waited, more than half an hour, for the final group of Lorens Chan, Matt Ma and Kalena Preus.
Chan, who played the Sony two years ago at age 14, is headed to UCLA after he graduates. He is a member at Waialae and was 3 under after 12 holes Monday. Oda had his eyes on him.
But Chan’s par on the 13th was his only par on the back nine. He missed the next four greens and his gifted short game could not save him. He barely missed one-putt pars on three greens, but three-putted the 16th for double-bogey. A birdie on the final hole was not enough.
Ma was even par after 14 holes. On the next hole, he hit a tree after an errant drive and lofted a spectacular approach to within three feet of the pin. He missed that par putt and four-putted the menacing 16th green for double bogey.
He finished in a tie for fifth at 75, with Brandan Kop and Seungjae Maeng.
Preus was even par on the back nine, but played the front in 2 over to finish in fourth alone.
The 12 players earned the right to try to qualify with high finishes at designated events this year (and the 2010 State Open). That qualified them for the Governor’s Cup team, where they beat the professional team for the fifth consecutive year, and this one-day qualifier.
It was Oda’s first attempt at qualifying and one of the few rounds he has ever played at Waialae. But, through the day’s most brutal gusts, he made the turn in 3-under 33 after eagling No. 9.
“It was a chip-in from just off the green,” he said. “Got lucky. I just wanted to get up close and it went in so I took it.”
Now he will take the tee in Sony’s first round Jan. 12. He isn’t nervous because he isn’t thinking about it, yet.
“I’m not even thinking that far ahead right now,” he said. “I’m staying in the moment. I’m so stunned. I can’t imagine this.”
