Maybe only Jared Sawada can comprehend how brilliantly John Oda golfed in this year’s Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play Championship.

Since the event started in 1928, no one has played better than Sawada did this year — except Oda, who beat him by six shots Sunday.

Oda obliterated the tournament record of 13-under-par 275, set 30 years ago by the late Chris Santangelo. The Moanalua High School junior closed with a 67 at Pearl Country Club for a four-day total of 19-under 269.

Sawada was second — by a bunch — bogeying the final hole to tie Santangelo’s old mark and close with a 69.

"That’s cool, pretty cool," Sawada said, covering his accomplishment and Oda’s in one short sentence. "It gives me goose bumps."

Oda won this title last year, then won the state high school championship, helping Na Menehune become the first OIA team in 32 years to win a state title.

A month before the State Amateur, he nearly captured the Hawaii Pearl Open, falling in a playoff to Korean pro Jun Won Park.

That was all he could compare to this tournament.

"Before the Pearl Open, I’d never shot under par before for three rounds," Oda said. "Doing it four times is pretty awesome."

His brilliance began Thursday when he rained 10 birdies on his home course to tie a career best by shooting 63.

"I married putting and ball-striking together," Oda shrugged, "so that’s always good."

He went wire-to-wire, pushed by his buddy Sawada, who played with him all four days.

Sawada gave himself a chance with a second-round 66. The former Rainbow Warriors golfer went into the final round four back.

At the turn the gap was still four, but Sawada birdied the 11th and Oda bogeyed to halve the deficit. Both birdied the 12th, and when Sawada sank a 15-footer for birdie on the 14th, the difference was one — for all of 30 seconds. Oda buried his putt from 7 feet and Sawada bogeyed the next hole, all but ending the drama.

"I was scared of Jared. His putting was impeccable, perfect," Oda said. "Every time he was over the ball I had the feeling he would make it, and he did. My goal today was just to shoot even par, but I don’t think it would have been enough. Jared kept pushing me and we had a battle. He’d make a putt and I’d make a putt."

Sawada pushed Oda into history, in overwhelming fashion. Sawada graduates in May in sociology and is now devoting himself to a pro golf career. He plans to try to qualify in Japan next summer.

His game has blossomed in the last year, after he shot in the 60s just twice at UH. Sunday, he tried to predict the collegiate future of Oda, who has verbally committed to UNLV.

Sawada knows how tough it will be, and believes Oda is tough enough.

"I think he’s going to win some tournaments, first year or second year," Sawada said. "His game is very special. That gives me goose bumps, just thinking about it. He’s a special kid."

Moanalua claimed five of the top six spots. After Sawada, it was freshman Shawn Lu (72—284), former Menehune Tyler Ota (69—285), freshman Kiyosuke Hara (73—287) and junior Brent Grant (71—289). Oda and Grant are the only upperclassmen on Moanalua.

David Hamada rallied on the back nine to win the senior title by one shot over Phil Anamizu. Both closed with rounds of 74, Hamada finishing at 217.

Brittany Fan, the only female in the field, made the cut and finished 34th.