Hawaii golfers go for LPGA cards

Hawaii’s Corie Hou, Anna Jang, Shayna Miyajima, Nicole Sakamoto and Britney Yada tee off Tuesday in Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament at Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.

All five advanced from Stage I in California the end of August. Two other Hawaii golfers who played on the LPGA Tour last year and the Symetra developmental tour this year are not at Q-School. Stephanie Kono has decided to focus on the Symetra Tour in 2014. The Top 10 at the end of each season earn their LPGA cards on that tour. Ayaka Kaneko is injured and "pretty much done for the year," she says.

Next week’s 72-hole, no-cut qualifier has nearly 200 players, including those from Stage I, this year’s Symetra Tour and the top three on this year’s CN Canadian Tour Order of Merit. The top 80 and ties advance to final Stage III qualifying, Dec. 4-8 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla. All others who complete 72 holes earn Symetra Tour status for next year.

Symetra graduates include 2012 Rolex Player of the Year Inbee Park and 27-time LPGA Tour winner Lorena Ochoa.

Laszlo misses cut in First Tee Open

Punahou junior Colin Laszlo shot 66-72 with Champions Tour partner Peter Senior at last week’s Nature Valley First Tee Open at Pebble Beach in California, but they fell two shots shy of making the cut.

Hawaii’s representative played with 80 other First Tee members from 54 chapters. Each was paired with one Champions Tour player and two of 162 amateurs. They played at Pebble Beach and Del Monte.

Laszlo was 6 under par, but the cut came at 8 under, with the top 23 playing Sunday’s final round. The overall junior champ was Michelle Xie, from The First Tee of Silicon Valley & Palo Alto (Calif.). She shot 65-65-68 with pro partner Kirk Triplett, who defended his title at Pebble Beach.

Juniors were selected by a national panel of judges that evaluated "participants’ playing ability and comprehension of the life skills and character education" learned through involvement with The First Tee.

Poipu offers promotion

Poipu Bay Golf Course has introduced a program that gives golfers a chance to practice at the range, then play three holes late in the day. The "Practice & Play" promotion costs $25 and is good any day.

Golfers need to book a time between 3 and 4 p.m. They get range balls and use of the practice facility until it closes at 5 p.m., as well as a golf cart and access to play the course’s first three holes (a par 4, 5 and 3).

For more information or to book times, call toll free (800-858-6300) or direct (808-742-8711) on Kauai.

 LOCAL ACES