Compared to his playoff win last year, Kalena Preus practically coasted to a successful title defense in the 10th annual Turtle Bay Amateur presented by Oakley.

Preus grabbed his first lead — since beating Lorens Chan a year ago — on the second-to-last hole Sunday. The Punahou senior, headed to the University of Texas and its golf team next fall, ultimately won by two shots over Todd Rego and was oblivious to how close the closing holes really were.

"Over the summer I learned not to want to know," Preus said. "It’s hard not looking at a scoreboard, hard not asking your caddie where you’re at. But sometimes you just got to play your own game."

Preus closed with a 3-under-par 69 at Turtle Bay’s Fazio Course. His two-day total of 1-under 143 was the only sub-par score. Last year there were three. Tadd Fujikawa holds the tournament record of 10-under 134, set in a much less windy 2006.

Rego held the first-round lead after opening with a 69 Saturday on the Palmer Course. He shot 76 Sunday to finish second, by a shot, over Kyosuke Hara, who turns 14 later this month and closed with a 73. University of Hawaii professor Michael Kawate (74—147) was fourth.

Rego, a 30-year-old who teaches autistic children, was still in control when he played the first nine (Fazio’s back side) in 35. But a squirrelly second shot at No. 1 led to three straight bogeys on the second nine and melted his momentum.

"I played solid on the front nine, then I skulled it over the green at No. 1," said Rego, who is making swing changes. "I made bogey, but after that my swing got out of rhythm. And I made nothing on the greens."

Preus made the turn in 3-under 33, but bogeyed Nos. 2 and 3 and still trailed Rego by two. Preus three-putted the next hole for par, but sank a 5-footer for birdie on the fifth to cut his deficit in half.

Preus buried a 9-footer at No. 7 to share the lead. When Rego got stymied by a tree behind him, Preus was ahead. He missed a 5-footer for birdie on the final hole and still padded his lead when Rego’s approach shot came up short and he couldn’t get up and down.

Hara would have been right there but for a four-putt at No. 3. Beyond that, he was as deadly as Preus on the greens.

Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Brandan Kop, 51, finished 15th — not high enough to earn enough points to qualify for his 33rd consecutive Governor’s Cup team. Unless players above him cannot play, Kop will not be part of the 12-man team that takes on the pros in December.

Mark Pacarro (79—152) won A flight and Reid Takatsuka (79—160) captured B flight in a playoff against Wade Takahashi. Trent Teruya took C flight at 90—175. There were a record 235 entries.