Hawaii golf welcomed John Oda into the big time last year. It welcomed Matt Ma into the winner’s circle again and again.
The warmest welcome came as 2012 ended. Five months after she captured a King Auto Junior State Championship and played an integral role in Hawaii’s dramatic win at the Girls Junior America’s Cup, golfers welcomed Eimi Koga back on the course after a frightening accident threatened her future.
The Moanalua High School senior was hit in the head by a golf ball during a practice round at the Asia-Pacific Junior Cup in October. Doctors told the 2011 state high school champion she would be off the course for six months and could be out of school a year.
The remarkable Koga was back to normal in a month. By December, she felt good enough to finish second at the Michelle Wie HSJGA Tournament of Champions. Three weeks ago, she and Dean Wilson won the Acura Hawaii Pro-Junior Skills Challenge, with "Team Eimi" — Wilson’s description — doing most of the damage.
This spring, Koga will go after her fourth Oahu Interscholastic Association title and another state high school championship. Then she heads to Washington to join Hawaii’s Cyd Okino on the country’s top-ranked women’s team.
Oda’s breakout year started at the Hawaii Pearl Open, where the 15-year-old lost a playoff with Korean pro Jun Won Park. Soon after, the Moanalua sophomore won the state amateur and state high school titles, helping Na Menehune become the first OIA boys team in 32 years to earn a team title.
‘Iolani won its first girls state championship, with Punahou’s Kacie Komoto — headed to Northwestern —getting the individual title by a shot over Red Raiders freshman Rose Huang.
Nicole Sakamoto graduated from James Madison and continued her dominance of the state women’s majors, winning the Jennie K. and state stroke play. When Cassy Isagawa won state match play, it was the first time in three years Sakamoto had not won while back home in Hawaii.
Ma, a 29-year-old sales rep, got one for the "older" guys when he captured the 104th Manoa Cup (State Amateur Match Play Championship). He rode that momentum to wins at the Army and Oahu Country Club invitationals.
Hawaii rode Wailea’s home-course advantage, and the talent of Koga, Huang, Mariel Galdiano and Ciera Min, to its third girls Junior America’s Cup title. The foursome beat 17 teams from the U.S., Canada and Mexico to win for the second time in three years — and set the bar for the boys, who host their Junior America’s Cup this July at Wailea.
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