Ma claims Manoa Cup

Matthew Ma’s wardrobe choice on Friday was in part a tribute to his college coach.

When he completed a triumphant run through the Manoa Cup bracket on Saturday, part of the credit traced back to the lessons Casey Martin imparted during Ma’s career with the Oregon golf program.

"The No. 1 thing with Casey is you have to compete," Ma said. "He’s just a competitor, he fights to the end because he’s had to do it his whole life."

Martin, the Ducks’ head coach, famously fought through a debilitating leg condition and challenged the PGA’s no-carts rule during his professional career and returned to the competitive spotlight this week at the U.S. Open, where he missed the cut by a stroke.

Ma keeps in touch with his former coach, mostly to talk football, and the day-glow green shirt Martin wore in the first round prompted Ma to wear the same on Friday, when he earned a spot in the championship match of the 104th Manoa Cup.

Ma then completed his pursuit of the state amateur match-play championship with a 4-and-3 victory over Nick Matsushima in the 36-hole final on Saturday at Oahu Country Club.

"I’ve been trying to get this one for a long time and it’s the one that’s eluded me," said Ma, now an assistant coach at ‘Iolani.

"I’ve won a few tournaments, but this is always the toughest because it’s a marathon. It’s six days and it’s win or go home."

Ma’s qualifying round of 75 on Monday was enough to get the 28-year-old into the bracket as the 41st seed. He survived a 19-hole duel with 12-year-old Evan Kawai in the first round of match play and rallied from behind in his next two matches. He closed the week by holding a lead for 74 of his last 76 holes (he was all square on the other two), including all 33 on Saturday.

Matsushima, a 19-year-old UH-Hilo junior, survived five rounds a year after he fell short of qualifying for the bracket, and clawed back into contention after going 4 down early in Saturday’s match.

"Looking back I gave it my best shot and I got beat by a really good player," Matsushima said. "To play this consistently showed me a lot. Just staying in the moment, focusing on the shot at hand, that definitely got me this far. Today I just didn’t putt quite as well."

Ma won on the course carved into Nuuanu valley last year in claiming the OCC Invitational championship. But this week’s victory, "is totally different."

"In OCC you have three days if you make the cut. In Manoa Cup, if you eat it, you’re done," Ma said. "It’s a physical grind and mentally it’s even tougher."

Ma managed to avoid OCC’s hazards for much of the week and jumped ahead in the final by dropping a 25-foot birdie putt on the first hole on his way to a 4-up lead through five holes.

Matsushima steadied himself and was 2 down after making a birdie on the par-3 11th hole. They matched seven pars and two birdies over the next nine holes until Matsushima rolled in a birdie putt on the third hole of the afternoon round, the 21st of the match, to close to 1 down.

A sand save for par followed a birdie on the fifth hole and gave Ma a 3 up cushion again.

"I fell out of the loop a little bit after I hit a couple of squirrelly shots, but I was able to figure it out and settle down and keep it together," Ma said.

After giving up bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12, Ma stretched the lead back to 4 up with pars on the next two holes and ended the match when his long birdie putt on No. 15 came up inches short for a par to halve the hole and place his name on the tournament’s namesake trophy.

"It’s a pretty impressive list, the names that are on there, very accomplished players," Ma said. "I’m just happy to be able to join those guys."

Three members of that group — Brandan Kop, Alex Ching and David Fink — joined Matsushima in helping toss Ma into the clubhouse pool for the champion’s traditional post-match plunge.