Isagawa wins state match-play title

Hawaii’s 2012 amateur match-play champions can be described in one word.

Ducks.

Maui’s Cassy Isagawa, about to start her sophomore season at the University of Oregon, matched OU graduate Matt Ma’s Manoa Cup championship Friday, defeating Lisa Kang 3 and 1 in the Hawaii State Women’s Match Play final. Ma’s match play title also came at Oahu Country Club, where Isagawa never trailed in the four matches of her first women’s match-play event.

"It’s a great course. The greens were aerated the first time I played here, but I honestly loved it," Isagawa recalled. "When I found out match play was here I thought I’d give it a try.

"It definitely kept me on my toes. … You really have to manage yourself on this course and that’s what I really like."

Her last match-play event was the Junior Ryder Cup two years ago. That winning appearance put an exclamation point on a spectacular 2010 when Isagawa won the state high school and Junior PGA championships and earned medalist honors at the Girls Junior America’s Cup, leading Hawaii to victory in the international event, which will be played on Maui next week.

Kang, a 16-year-old junior at Mid-Pacific Institute, can attest to Isagawa’s prodigious talent. She watched the Baldwin graduate drain three birdie putts on the front nine. Isagawa didn’t miss a green until the 13th hole and didn’t miss a fairway until the 14th. Those would be her only misses.

"She has good shots, she hits long," said the 5-foot-1 Kang, who might weigh 100 pounds after an OCC drenching. "All that’s really expected of her, so I just tried my best each hole."

Her best provided a peek at remarkable potential. There is a reason Kang has already talked with Duke and Yale about playing college golf in a couple of years.

Isagawa won two of the first three holes and was 8 feet from birdie at No. 4 when Kang drilled a putt in from off the green to steal the hole.

Isagawa won two of the next three, hitting to 5 feet at No. 5 and draining a 30-footer at No. 7. Kang bogeyed No. 8 and was 4 down.

She came back again, pitching to within 5 feet for birdies on Nos. 9 and 10.

"I just thought I have to try and make better shots, better recoveries after bad shots," Kang said. "And I gotta putt good. I thought I was playing pretty good, but not good enough, I guess."

This was Isagawa, a hula and Tahitian dancer before falling hard for golf. She was ranked ninth in the country at the end of her freshman year, earning a place on Golfweek’s All-America and all-freshman teams and grabbing All-Pac-12 honors.

Beyond all that, she knows Kang and her capabilities and was ready for her.

"I knew she was going to make putts sooner or later because she’s a great putter," Isagawa said. "When she made those two birdies I said, ‘You know what, Cassy, it was bound to happen. Just keep fighting. Don’t let that frustrate you.’ When I lose to birdies, honestly, you can’t do anything about that. It’s just great golf."

Kang felt it slipping away when her approach to No. 15 squirted through the green, leading to her fourth bogey. She lost all four of those holes to Isagawa, whose double bogey at No. 14 was her only hiccup.

With the match dormied at the par-3 16th, Kang fired her last arrow. She launched her drive to within 3 feet and converted her fifth birdie of the day. "I just tried to go for it," Kang grinned. "Nothing to lose."

It would not be enough. Isagawa nearly drove the 328-yard, par-4 17th and chipped to 3 feet. Her fourth birdie clinched it.

Both finalists plan to play the State Stroke Play Championship, July 31-Aug. 2 at Mid-Pacific Country Club.