Hawaii’s juniors thrived at home, winning the 35th annual Girls’ Junior America’s Cup Thursday at Wailea Gold against international competition and in front of 12 college coaches.
Eimi Koga, Mariel Galdiano, Ciera Min and Rose Huang held off a charge from Southern California to win by one shot. Galdiano got it, sinking a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
"It was a beautiful shot in," Hawaii captain Cathy Torchiana said. "At that point, it was awesome."
Hawaii’s youngest participant — Galdiano, who is about to begin her freshman year at Punahou — closed with a 2-under-par 70. She and Koga (72), a Moanalua senior, tied for third individually at 214.
All four Hawaii players were in the top 16, with Huang (77—222), an ‘Iolani sophomore, finishing 15th and Min (76—223), a Waiakea senior headed to Gonzaga on a scholarship, 16th.
Medalist was Southern California’s Elisabeth Bernabe (71—211). Southern Nevada’s Alexandra Kaui (71—213), originally from Kapolei, was second.
Hawaii closed with a team score of even-par 648, shooting rounds of 214-214-220. The high score was thrown out each day and it was a different player all three days. Southern California fired a 5-under 211 in the final round to shoot 649. Mexico (218—658) took third.
"We did really good the first and second day," said Galdiano, who qualified for the U.S. Women’s Open last year at 12. "Today was a little bit harder for everyone."
Galdiano did not believe nerves played a part: "After I played in the Open," she said, "nothing makes me nervous anymore."
It is Hawaii’s third America’s Cup championship, and second in three years. It has not finished out of the top five since Torchiana, a Hall of Fame coach at USC, took over in 2007. She was not familiar with any of her players back then.
"Then, when we went to the course for our practice round, I was so impressed with their games," Torchiana recalled. "They were as good at 17 years old as my upperclassmen at USC when I retired in 1993. Girls’ golf has grown so quickly."
What impressed Torchiana most this year was her players’ composure.
"They never give up and they are very, very calm," Torchiana said. "There was no club throwing, no craziness, no yelling. They would finish their round, do their scorecard and come back out and root on the next ones. They jelled so quickly as a team it was amazing.
"And Rose and Mariel are 14. To fall into that situation at such a young age … can you imagine how well they will do in college?"
Arizona State’s Melissa Luellen, on Maui to recruit, said coaches like to come to the Cup to look at prospects because of its team atmosphere. They watch the interaction as much as the golf.
Earlier in the week, Luellen felt Hawaii might have an advantage on the greens, with the 17 other teams struggling with the huge breaks common here. That advantage lessened each day, but Luellen also pointed to the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association as a reason for Hawaii’s success.
"What (HSJGA President) Mary Bea (Porter-King) has done for Hawaii junior golf is starting to really reap rewards," Luellen said. "These girls were little kids when she started the program. They’ve been building it and putting more into it. The kids know they are getting good instruction and they are getting better."
