Hawaii’s 2011 golf season comes to a close this weekend at the Turtle Bay Hawaii State Open on the North Shore.
Tadd Fujikawa will defend his title and will be joined by a diverse group that includes David Ishii, Dean Wilson, Parker McLachlin and Ayaka Kaneko, who just earned her LPGA playing privileges.
Fujikawa went wire-to-wire for his first state title last year. He birdied the final hole to beat Arizona pro Ben Stauls by one shot. Ishii won the senior title and 15-year-old Ji Soo Park went wire-to-wire to win the women’s flight. Sean Maekawa was low amateur.
The men’s Open Division goes out from 7:45 a.m. Friday and Saturday on Turtle Bay’s Palmer Course, then finishes on the Fazio Course at approximately 1:30 p.m. Sunday.
Women’s, Senior and Men’s A Flights play the Fazio the first two days and finish on the Palmer at approximately the same time Sunday.
Along with Fujikawa, Ishii and Wilson, other former winners include three-time champion Kevin Hayashi, four-time champ Lance Suzuki and Nick Mason, Casey Nakama and Dan Nishimoto.
Tour players Sam Cyr and brothers Gipper and Tony Finau, who represent Turtle Bay, also are playing, along with two-time defending Manoa Cup champ David Fink, surfer Kelly Slater and Champions Tour player Dave Eichelberger.
Juniors include two-time state high school champion Lorens Chan and Moanalua sophomore John Oda, who just qualified for next month’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Chan, an ‘Iolani senior headed to UCLA, played the Sony at age 14. University of Hawaii senior TJ Kua, who played the Sony this year, also will be at Turtle Bay.
Joining Kaneko in the women’s flight are Futures Tour players Britney Choy and Xyra Suyetsugu, former champ Katie Kempter, college players Kristina Merkle and Cyd Okino — a three-time winner — and juniors Allisen Corpuz and Mariel Galdiano.
Ho‘olaule‘a awards Jan. 13
Friends of Hawaii Charities and the Aloha Section PGA Foundation will host the annual Hawaii Golf Ho‘olaule‘a Awards Jan. 13, from 6 p.m. at the Honolulu Country Club.
Clyde Rego and Charles Barenaba Jr., the 2012 Hall of Fame inductees, will be honored. The Aloha Section PGA, Hawaii State Golf Association, Hawaii State Junior Golf Association, Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association, Hawaii Course Superintendents, Hawaii Golf Representative Association and The First Tee of Hawaii also will recognize their members.
Reservations can be made online at aspga.com and by contacting the Aloha Section office (593-2230).
Notees
» The Hawaii State Junior Golf Association’s annual fundraising sale will be Saturday, from 8 a.m.-noon, at King Auto Center Show Room on Kauai. It is located at 4330 Kukui Grove St. in Lihue, across from Kukui Grove Shopping Center.
» Lily Yao won the fifth annual Wahine O Hawaii Kai Open last week. Yao shot 7-over-par 79 both days to win by a shot over Marcie Rudich (81-78) and Lisa Lee (79-80). Jade Merkle captured low net honors in the Championship Flight, shooting rounds of 84-78 with a 9 handicap for a total of 144.
» The Golf Club at Kukui‘ula, located on the South Shore of Kauai, has been named "Best New Private Course of the Year" by the editors of Golf Magazine. The course was designed by Tom Weiskopf. It stretches to 7,000 yards and flows through coffee fields, meadows and rolling hills. The course offers a view of Spouting Horn.
