Wind-win situation for Chow in ILH golf

The winds played tricks at Turtle Bay Resort’s George Fazio Course, but Marissa Chow wasn’t fazed.

Down one stroke to Punahou junior Kacie Komoto, Chow rallied to tie it, and then won on the final hole to take her third Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship. Chow parred the final four holes, while Komoto’s triple bogey on the gusty 18th gift-wrapped the title for the ‘Iolani senior.

“You really can’t let the wind get to you,” Chow said. “I don’t try to hit it any lower. … I just let the wind do whatever it wants to the ball and hopefully I’ll have enough to get it there. I take two clubs maybe. Wind is just one of the elements we have to play with.”

Meanwhile, the boys had their share of drama. Punahou senior Kai Hayashida rallied with a 4-under 68 on the Fazio course to finish with a two-round 141. He began the day two strokes behind teammate Zack Braunthal, who carded a 73 for a two-round 144 — three strokes behind Hayashida.

Mid-Pacific’s Skye Inakoshi finished second, one stroke behind Hayashida after a final-round 70.

Chow finished with a two-round total of 146, one stroke ahead of Punahou’s Sarah Hasselman.

It was Komoto, however, who had victory in grasp. Komoto opened the round one stroke behind, but evened it up by the time they reached the turn.

Chow bogeyed the par-4 14th, but was back in a tie for the lead when Komoto bogeyed the par-4 16th. Chow was 4 inches short on a long upslope putt on the 17th, leaving the two leaders tied going to the 18th.

Chow parred the final hole, while Komoto had a chance to win with a birdie putt from about 20 feet out. But the wind, which had been unpredictable and swirling all day, kicked up another notch and began to howl just as Komoto stepped in for her try.

Rather than step back and let it blow over, Komoto putted through and missed.

“Once I missed my putt, I totally expected Kacie to make it,” said Chow, who will play at Pepperdine next season. “She’s a good putter. Just like the 17th hole, she had a shorter putt than me. The greens were just really hard to read today. It was hard to adjust to for all of us.”

Komoto’s next putt for par rimmed out, and by the time she had finished, it was a triple bogey.

She didn’t notice the wind as much as bystanders did.

“I was just focused on my putt,” she said.

Komoto finished the round with a 4-over 76 and Chow finished with a 2-over 74. Komoto wound up in fourth place behind teammate Hasselman and ‘Iolani freshman Rose Huang.

For Komoto, going from a potential winning putt to defeat was a heartbreaker.

“I’m kind of getting over it. It’s over and done. I’m only a junior, so I’ll make sure to do better next year,” Komoto said.

First-year Raiders coach Kana Aikawa felt for both golfers.

“Golf is a sport of inches, I guess,” she said.

For Chow, winning a third league title despite lingering health issues was satisfying. In years past, she struggled with plantar fasciitis. This year, she’s dealt with a mysterious stomach ailment.

“I’m going to a doctor, but they haven’t figured it out. I think it might just be stress,” Chow said. “It was just really bad timing.”

The condition was enough to limit her normal routine. She ate nothing but bread before the late-morning tee time.

“I always wake up with really bad stomachaches,” she said.

Aikawa marveled at Chow’s toughness.

“She doesn’t think about it once she’s on the course. When you watch her play, you can’t even tell,” Aikawa said. “Her perseverance … she’s very disciplined on the course and she’s just consistent. She’s a gutsy golfer.”

Chow carded a 72 in Monday’s opening round at Oahu Country Club. At that time, she had just gotten over a stomach flu — on top of the pre-existing stomach problem.

Chow won titles in her freshman and junior years, in addition to Thursday. Alina Ching won the ILH crown in Chow’s sophomore season.

The two-week break before the state championships on Kauai will help.

“I need a break,” Chow said, looking forward to the next challenge. “It’s kind of like Kaneohe Klipper Golf Course. It’s right next to the beach, offshore winds and it plays kind of long.”

The boys battle was intriguing with the absence of favorite Lorens Chan of ‘Iolani, who was on the mainland playing in another tournament.

For Hayashida, familiarity with the Fazio course didn’t hurt.

“The wind gets irritating at times, but you learn to deal with it and suck it up,” said Hayashida, a lanky 6-footer. “You had to be patient. You’re going to miss greens anyway, so chipping and putting was really important today. The wind was not that bad. It was pretty consistent today.”