Jared Sawada and Richard Hattori “manned up” against the 14-year-olds Friday, ousting Kyosuke Hara and Kyle Suppa from the 105th Manoa Cup.
Both matches ended 2 and 1.
Sawada, the old man at 22, will meet Hattori in the 36-hole final today at 7 a.m. at Oahu Country Club.
At 17, Hattori would be the youngest winner since 15-year-old Travis Toyama in 2002. Suppa or Hara, who beat 14-year-old Shawn Lu in a morning quarterfinal, would have been the youngest ever.
105TH MANOA CUP
At Oahu Country Club
Semifinals
» Richard Hattori def. Kyle Suppa: 2 and 1
» Jared Sawada def. Kyosuke Hara: 2 and 1
Quarterfinals
» Jared Sawada def. Bradley Shigezawa: 3 and 2
» Kyle Suppa def. Todd Rego: 1 up
» Kyosuke Hara def. Shawn Lu: 6 and 4
» Richard Hattori def. S. Maeng: 5 and 4
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The kids can now contemplate summer break and their last three years of high school. Sawada and Hattori have only golf in their near future.
Both recently graduated, Hattori from high school and Sawada with a sociology degree from the University of Hawaii.
Both plan to turn pro within the next year, so this will probably be their last shot at Hawaii’s most prestigious amateur title.
Both plan to savor the moment.
“I’m going to play every single tournament this summer,” Sawada said heading into Manoa Cup. “I’m having too much fun.”
Hattori’s only goal today, beyond winning, is simply to “enjoy.”
Hara trailed Sawada from the opening hole and Suppa fell behind for good on the 13th. The kids were too fearless and talented to go away.
Hara was coming off 6-and-4 wins over defending champ Matthew Ma and Lu, his Moanalua High teammate. Hara won seven of the first 10 holes in the morning and was off the course just after 9 a.m.
The rest, in a tournament that demands contestants walk, did him little good. He took a six on the first hole against Sawada, who ousted Bradley Shigezawa 3 and 2 in the morning.
Sawada’s advantage grew to 3 up by the fifth hole. Hara cut it to 1 up when he drove the par-4 10th and two-putted for birdie.
Sawada got the gap back to three heading up Nuuanu Valley, hitting his approach shots inside 7 feet on Nos. 12 and 13.
Then Hara blasted it close from the bunker for birdie to win the 15th and drained a 25-footer on the next hole to cut it back to one again.
Both nearly drove the par-4 17th, but Hara’s short game let him down. A few minutes later, the same thing happened to Suppa, who beat Todd Rego 1 up in the closest morning quarterfinal.
Hattori’s margin of victory came from birdies on the 13th and 14th, which put him ahead of Suppa for good. In the morning, Hattori — who had not won more than one match in three previous Manoa Cups — ousted OCC member SeungJae Maeng.
Eight months ago, Hattori beat Sawada and Rego in a playoff to earn a spot in this year’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Sawada has not forgotten. He also has vivid memories of last year’s semifinal loss to Ma.
He struggled some earlier this week, but had just one bogey against Hara and shot 4 under.
“I feel pretty relaxed, I feel like I’m in a zone,” said Sawada, who has two wins and a host of top-three finishes since finishing his UH eligibility a year ago. “I’m trying to appreciate the scenery and let that calm me down instead of thinking about golf all the time.”
Hattori was nearly as good, playing OCC in 2 under with two bogeys, never letting Suppa and his sweet short game back in.
