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Pacific Links Hawaii surprised Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer David Ishii on Thursday with an invitation to play in the inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship. The news came at the banquet for Ishii’s annual golf fund-raising tournament.
The group gave Ishii one of two sponsor’s exemptions for the Champions Tour event, which will be Sept. 14-16 at Kapolei Golf Course.
"Your level of success on both the PGA and Japan PGA tours alone warrants this exemption," said Micah Kane, Pacific Links COO. "However, it’s what you provide off the course as a tireless proponent of the game that speaks even more to the true champion you are."
Ishii won the PGA Tour’s 1990 Hawaiian Open and is a 14-time champion on the JPGA tour. His foundation sponsors the girls and boys state high school championships. He was the 1973 state high school champion and now teaches some of the state’s best juniors. The Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer has played nine senior events since turning 50, the last at Turtle Bay in 2008. In his senior debut in 2006, he was 29th at Turtle Bay and qualified for the Senior PGA Championship.
Ishii was ecstatic about receiving the invitation, and a bit apprehensive.
"They just play way better," Ishii said of the Champions Tour players. "They are still good. The 50-year-old guys are right off the tour. They are still playing a high level of golf. I’m just getting worse and worse. I can’t even keep up with the juniors anymore. My game is getting not that good. I hope it’s a little better by then (September). On top of that, Kevin (Hayashi) is turning 50 soon and Greg Meyer was third last week (in Japan). Maybe this is my last hurrah."
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