Next week’s Mauna Lani Resort Hawaii State Open might not have a partridge in a pear tree, but the field has just about everything else, from major winners to PGA Tour champions and precocious 13-year-olds.
Last year, Dean Wilson came home to win his second State Open by one shot over Kauai pro TJ Kua and Texas pro Jaime Gomez. Wilson, who won more than $9 million on the PGA Tour, hasn’t finished worse than fifth the past five years.
He is back and so is Kua, 2010 champion Tadd Fujikawa and 2008 champ Nick Mason, along with Sean Maekawa, Spencer Shishido and Regan Lee.
The amateur flight includes defending champ Trent Norcross from Canada, two-time Manoa Cup champ David Fink, reigning Manoa Cup champ Jared Sawada, John Oda, Kyle Suppa, Todd Rego, Tyler Ota and Alika Bell.
Waikoloa’s Tammy Surtees will defend her women’s championship against eight others, including Brittany Fan, Shayna Miyajima and 13-year-old Aneka Seumanutafa.
The Senior Pro flight might offer the most diversity, and name recognition.
Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Kevin Hayashi will defend against Hall of Famer David Ishii, the 1990 Hawaiian Open champ, and 1987 U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson. Those three have won 10 State Opens among them, dating back to 1979.
Dave Eichelberger, winner of the 1999 U.S. Senior Open, is also playing along with 1987 State Open champ Casey Nakama and Dean Prince, who has won eight senior titles at the Open.
The State Open was first played in 1920, eventually becoming the PGA Tour’s Hawaiian Open. It was revived as a local event in 1976 and is now presented by the Aloha Section PGA Foundation. This is the second of a three-year commitment with Mauna Lani.
Thursday’s pro-am benefits the Aloha Section Foundation. The 54-hole Open runs next Friday-Sunday.
2013 MAUNA LANI RESORT HAWAII STATE OPEN
>> When: 6:45 a.m., Friday, Dec. 13, and 7:30 a.m. Saturday and Sunday, Dec. 14-15 >> Where: Mauna Lani Resort >> Purse: $60,000 >> 2012 champions: Dean Wilson (Open), Tammy Surtees (Women), Kevin Hayashi (Seniors), Trent Norcross (Amateur), Carl Ho (Sr. Amateur) and Tracy Kitamura (A Flight) >> Admission: Free >> Pro-am: Thursday, 10 a.m. South Course
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