Maeng atop Pearl’s crowded leaderboard

On an idyllic Saturday, seemingly every element of Hawaii’s diverse golf world put itself into contention to win the 35th Hawaii Pearl Open.

Dong Seop Maeng and defending champion Jun Won Park, both in the top 30 on the Korean Tour money list last year, are 1-2 going into today’s final round at Pearl Country Club.

Maeng’s second-round 68 has him at 9-under-par 135. A pair of 12-foot eagle putts have him a shot ahead of Park (71), who had three birdies on the first five holes but hit into the hazard at No. 7 and mustered just one more the rest of the round.

He opened defense of his title Friday by blitzing PCC for a 7-under-par 65.

"The course is not long and the fairways are narrow," Park said through an interpreter. "There is very tough rough and the undulation is pretty hard, so you just have to hit shot after shot and focus. That’s my talent. It fits together."

The only guy that could catch him in Saturday’s morning wave was Utah pro Steve Schneiter, who reached 7 under with a second-round 68.

Then Park teed off, a few groups behind Maeng, and couldn’t match his mojo from Friday or last year, when he subdued state high school champion John Oda in a playoff.

Maeng moved by him. Schneiter — second to Gregory Meyer here in 2003 — and Mark Hubbard, a San Jose State graduate who won the 2011 WAC championship, got within one of the defending champion and two of the lead.

Hubbard’s 66 matched the low round of the day — shot by a foursome that vividly illustrates this tournament’s diverse draw.

Canadian Nick Taylor’s 66 put the top-ranked amateur golfer from 2009 into a tie for fifth with, among others, two-time HPO champ Kiyoshi Murota. The 57-year-old, who still plays on the Japan PGA tour, also shot 66 to pull three shots back of Maeng.

Former Rainbow Jared Sawada also has a share of fifth after a 67. He is low amateur and tied with former teammate TJ Kua for the best score among Hawaii golfers.

That is huge for Sawada, who won the 2012 Prince Invitational during a year in which his game blossomed. He had nine one-putts Saturday, seven for birdie with three of those from outside 25 feet.

"This past year I’ve put myself in a lot of good spots," said the 2008 Mililani graduate. "I feel like I’ve learned a lot in one year. I’ve been practicing really hard, trying really hard. I don’t think the final round will bother me. I feel like it’s just another day at Pearl, my favorite course."

The six-way logjam at fifth also features Joe Panzeri, who plays with Taylor on the Canadian Tour, and Han Lee, born in Seoul, raised in California and 14th on the Japan pro tour last year. Lee, a two-time Canadian Amateur champ, won the Mynavi ABC Championship in Japan last October.

He comes to Hawaii to renew friendships and work on his game in the offseason. His best finish was fourth, in 2010.

"I love coming out here, love what this tournament stands for," Lee said. "I know most of the players here, some from the Japan side and definitely on the American side.

"I like it a lot, to be out here with the guys. I never know what I have when I come out here, it’s really, really early for me, but what usually ends up happening is I come here and throw some rounds together that get me upset. Then I go home and put in a practice session."

Arizona pro Jessie Mueller, who won here and at the Hawaii State Open in 2009, is four shots back after a 69.

Japanese pro Kazuo Sato is five back with the final 66. He is tied with Oda, who verbally committed to UNLV this summer — prior to his junior year — and Meyer, who has won here four times.

The professional cut came at 149. The top 15 amateurs also advance to the final round.

Notes

Japanese pro Yuka Kuriyama, who qualified Tuesday, had the best finish of the five women in the field at 79—155.

Punahou graduate Alex Ching came up two shots short in Friday’s final round of qualifying for the PGA Tour’s Latinoamerica Tour.

Ching fired a 75 to finish at even-par 288. The top 20 — at 286 and better — got their cards for this year. Ching played four tour events at the end of last year and came within 13 cents of getting his playing privileges.