86
Nick Mason and Matt Ma held off Jarett Hamamoto, Ryan Michimoto, Ciera Min and some really wet weather — even for Hilo — last weekend to win the professional and amateur flights at the Hilo Invitational.
Constant rain and flooding at Hilo Muni forced cancellation of Saturday’s first round, shortening the tournament for the first time in its 15 years. Sunday, the field of 111 golfers needed more than 8 hours to finish and both the professional and amateur flights went into overtime.
Mason, a Leilehua and University of Hawaii-Hilo alum, won his fourth Hilo Invitational on the second extra hole after he, Hamamoto and Michimoto all shot 2-under-par 69. Mason donated a portion of his $5,000 winner’s check to the Big Island Junior Golf Association. Hamamoto was the 2006 Hilo champion.
Ma and Min both shot 70 to force a playoff for the amateur title. Ma needed six extra holes — a tournament record — to hold off Min, a junior at Waiakea High School. Both birdied the first and fifth playoff holes and got up and down for par on the fourth.
Four-Ball title up for grabs
High school sophomores Jared Flores and Donny Hopoi will defend their title at the Hawaii State Golf Association Four-Ball Championship this weekend at Ted Makalena Golf Course.
The championship flight plays Saturday and Sunday. A and B Flights started last Sunday and finish Sunday.
Flores and Hopoi fired a two-day total of 11-under-par 131 last year, defeating 2010 champs Ryan Kuroiwa and Jared Sawada by one shot. Jino Sohn, now a high school freshman, and Skye Inakoshi were third. State high school champion Eimi Koga is again partnering with 13-year-old Kyosuke Kevin Hara. Moanalua teammates Seungjae Maeng and John Oda are also in the 23-team field.
The Four-Ball format uses the best score of the two-person team for each hole. Flores and Hopoi tee off first Saturday at 7:03 a.m.
