Mason edges Wilson for State Open

MAUNA LANI, Hawaii » In the serenity of Francis I‘i Brown’s stunning golf amphitheater Sunday, the Mauna Lani Resort Hawaii State Open came down to two Hawaii golfers who have had success outside Hawaii.

Nick Mason and Dean Wilson hit 10 flawless shots in a playoff, and four birdie putts that refused to fall. Finally, Mason dunked a 25-footer on the third extra hole. Wilson, facing a putt half as long to extend the playoff, barely missed for the third time.

"Dean didn’t miss a shot in the playoff and he left it in great position on all three of them," said Mason, a Leilehua graduate. "For him to miss it three times was probably really lucky. I had my chances and missed the first two, so if he had made the third one I was totally OK with it."

It was Mason’s second state championship. Wilson, a Castle High graduate who turns 44 on Tuesday, was going for his third — second in a row. A year ago at Mauna Lani’s North Course, he eked out a one-shot win despite a wind-blown 76 the final day.

Sunday, Wilson chased everybody down with a 5-under-par 67 in perfect conditions. That left him at 10-under 206 for the tournament, with three 2s on his final card. He was within 6 inches of a hole-in-one on the fifth, but lamented a bogey at the 13th and pars on the final four holes.

"I’m not going to complain; I shot 5 under, played good," said Wilson, who won seven times, collecting more than $10 million, on the PGA and Japan PGA tours. "Maybe I could have birdied that last par-5 coming in but … oh well.

"He (Mason) just made the putt … that’s what it takes."

First-round leader, and two-time Manoa Cup champ David Fink (69—207) came up one shot short of the playoff, also regretting a late bogey. The Oregon State senior claimed low-amateur honors over Moanalua High School senior John Oda (71—213), who is headed to UNLV.

Second-round leader Jake Grodzinsky, a mini-tour player who went to Duke, couldn’t break par the final day and finished four back.

Jeff Coston, who runs a golf academy in Blaine, Wash., captured the Senior Pro title. He sank a 5-foot par putt on the final hole to shoot 72 and edge 1989 U.S. Open champ — and four-time Hawaii State Open champ — Scott Simpson by one. The two played together on the PGA Tour in the 1980s.

Simpson finished at 69—209. Hapuna’s Jay Taise (74) and Nanea’s Kevin Hayashi (71), the defending senior champ, were two back.

Coston, 58, is a member of the Northwest Section PGA Hall of Fame. He has won more section majors than anyone in history and also captured the 2006 Senior PGA Professional National Championship. He was here celebrating his 38th anniversary.

The seniors played from shorter tees on the two tournament courses (North and South) named after Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer Francis I‘i Brown. Richard Gillette (77—222) claimed the Senior Amateur title and Joe Yabuki (78—231) won A Flight.

Mari Chun, a 2005 Kamehameha graduate, won the Women’s Flight. It was her first win since her senior year at Stanford. Chun went wire-to-wire to win by five over Brittany Fan and eight over defending champ Tamara Surtees. All three fired 71 Sunday.

Chun, now playing mini-tours in Georgia, said this is the first year she has been healthy since graduating from college.

"It’s been great," said Chun, who shared lunch and golf stories with Simpson when it was over. "It’s nice to know there’s no physical setbacks. When you can play golf and know it’s all about you and your golf game, it’s exciting. … It’s great to chase after a dream."

Mason, 31, has been chasing it since his game blossomed at University of Hawaii-Hilo. He has played State Opens all over the country, tried several mini-tours and played the Sony Open in Hawaii. He won four Hilo Invitationals and the 2012 Mid-Pacific Open, also in a playoff.

Outlasting Wilson made Sunday’s $10,000 paycheck feel like more.

"It was so cool," said Mason, who hit just one ball into Mauna Lani’s lava over his 57 holes. "There’s no one else here I’d rather play than Dean. He’s always been such a good guy to me. He’s been to the top of the golf world. To get him one time feels really good. … I respect him more than any player I’ve ever played with."

Mason promised himself he would try to qualify for Sony again if he won at Mauna Lani. Now, after passing on another shot at the Web.com Q-School and taking a part-time job, he is allowing himself to chase the dream again.

"Every time I’m close to laying it down something like this happens," he grinned. "It’s nice. It’s not the money, it’s just beating a good field like this … I’m very happy."

Tadd Fujikawa, the 2010 State Open champ, rallied from an opening round 80 to finish 12th.