Tritium Racing could set mark Thursday

The Tritium Racing crew is about an hour off its projected pace and is looking to make up the time in the Los Angeles to Honolulu Transpacific Yacht Race.

The crew ran into serious debris left over from the March 2011 tsunami in Japan, and it created some unexpected challenges.

Tritium Racing, with skipper John Sangmeister, is trying to finish the 2,225 nautical-mile race in 4 1/2 days, and the Transpac record of five days, nine hours, 18 minutes, 26 seconds is still in sight.

Fans can see a live tracking map on the Transpac website at yb.tl/transpac2013.

Smaller and slower boats left Los Angeles on July 8 and July 10. The larger and faster yachts started July 13.

Tritium Racing is expected to arrive at Diamond Head on Thursday.

3 from Hawaii advance in Publinx

ILH champ PJ Samiere, state stroke-play champ John Oda and Maui’s Taeksoo Kim advanced to match play at the 88th U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship Tuesday.

All three are seeded after finishing in the top half of the 64 qualifiers at Laurel Hill Golf Club in Lorton, Va.

Samiere tied for 20th, closing qualifying with a 2-over-par 72 for a 141 total. Oda (70) and Kim (68) both tied for 26th at 142.

Maui’s Alex Chiarella (73—146) was one shot out of a 13-man playoff for the final 11 spots. Ken Miyata (80—152), Chris Igawa (76—152) and Dalen Yamauchi (79—154) finished farther back in the field of 156.

Grant qualifies for U.S. Amateur

Moanalua High senior Brent Grant fired a 3-under par 69 at Kapolei Golf Course on Tuesday to finish with a 7-under 137 total and edge out first-round leader Bradley Shigezawa by one shot to qualify for the U.S. Amateur.

Shigezawa is the first alternate.

Grant will play in the U.S. Amateur at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass., Aug. 12-18.

Sawada warms up with win at Waialae

Kristen Sawada starts her junior year at Hawaii Hilo next month and tees off in the Hawaii State Women’s Match Play Championship today. She warmed up for all that by capturing the championship of the 57th annual Waialae Women’s Invitational on Tuesday.

Sawada held a three-shot advantage over two-time defending champion Kimberly Tom going into the final round after opening with a 1-over-par 73 Monday at Waialae Country Club. Sawada closed with a 78 to win by nine. The runner-up was Jeannie Pak, who shot rounds of 79-81.

Galdiano, Nam in top 10 at Junior World

Pearl City’s Mariel Galdiano and Kailua’s Malia Nam are among the Top 10 after Tuesday’s opening round of the Callaway Junior World Golf Championships, being played at several courses in the San Diego area.

Galdiano is a shot out of first in the oldest girls division after opening with a 2-under-par 70 at Torrey Pines North.

The 15-17 girls and boys play four rounds. The younger age groups play three.

Nam, playing in the 13-14 division, is tied for ninth after shooting 1-under 71 at Rancho Bernardo.

Parnaby helps Australia claim bronze

Former University of Hawaii pitcher Kaia Parnaby held off Canada in extra innings to help Australia capture the bronze medal in the World Cup of Softball with a 4-3 win on Sunday in Oklahoma City.

Parnaby threw three innings of relief and gave up three runs, one earned, on five hits and struck out three. The bronze medal game went into extra innings tied 1-1 and Australia scored three runs in the top of the eighth. Canada rallied for two runs in the bottom of the inning and loaded the bases with one out, but Parnaby retired the next two batters on infield pop-ups.

Former UH infielder Clare Warwick went 1-for-4 and drove in Australia’s first run. Stacey Porter, another former Rainbow Wahine standout, was 1-for-3 and scored a run.

Japan defeated the U.S. 6-3 in the gold-medal game.