Hawaii has 3 golfers in Navistar LPGA Classic

Hawaii’s Michelle Wie, Ayaka Kaneko and Stephanie Kono are all playing in this week’s Navistar LPGA Classic. The final full-field event of the year tees off today in Alabama.

Wie is coming off a 13th-place finish in last week’s Ricoh Women’s British Open, the final major of the year. She climbed into 10th Sunday morning with a third-round 72 in the weather-delayed major. Wie shot 79 that afternoon to finish 17 strokes behind winner Jiyai Shin, who won by nine over runner-up Inbee Park.

It was Wie’s second top-15 finish in a month. Those are her best this year. She has missed the cut in nine of her 17 starts. Wie ranks 140th in putts, averaging 31.46 a round, and 146th in driving accuracy, hitting just 52 percent of the fairways.

The two-time winner on the LPGA Tour has dropped to 48th in the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings and is 64th on this year’s money list, with $126,455.

This week’s tournament is huge for those on the bubble for next year. Players who finish inside the top 80 on the season-ending money list earn Category 1 status on next year’s Priority List. Those between 81-100 earn Category 11. Both categories are exempt.

Category 16 includes players who finish between 101-125, which provides non-exempt status. Players on the bubble watch include Kaneko, who has earned $15,851 and is 136th on the money list, Christina Kim (110th) and Janice Moodie (127th).

Kono has not made a cut in her rookie year.

Local players win match play on Maui

Brittany Fan, Eric Le and Shawn Lu captured titles at last weekend’s Ka‘anapali Golf Courses Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Match Play Championship, played on Maui.

Fan defeated Aiko Leong, 2 and 1, in the girls final, overcoming an early two-hole deficit. Fan reached the final by defeating Allisen Corpuz in semifinals. The two were all square after 18 holes and their match halted because of a time limit. They matched cards and Fan’s birdie on the 14th, which tied the match, gave her the win.

Le captured the Boys 15-18 championship by beating Haiku’s Jameson Keiley, 1-up. Le took the lead for good with birdie on the 10th.

Lu also won the Boys 13-14, 1-up, overcoming a four-hole deficit against Andrew Chin. Lu won the 16th and 17th with birdie to tie the match, then parred the final hole for the win.

Consolation champions were Sarah Hasselman (Girls), John Kaylan Dumo (Boys 13-14) and Lucas Kamuela Park (Boys 15-18).