Kono, Jang, Sakamoto ready to go

While the LPGA opens in the Bahamas, Australia, Thailand and Singapore, the Symetra Tour quietly begins this week with the second annual Visit Mesa Gateway Classic in Arizona.

While Michelle Wie tees off in the $1.5 million Honda LPGA Thailand on Friday, Stephanie Kono, Nicole Sakamoto and Anna Jang will grind it out with 117 others for $100,000 at Longbow Golf Club.

Those 120 in Mesa are pretty happy about it. The tour — sponsored by a company that specializes in retirement, employee benefit and life insurance products — likes to call itself the Road to the LPGA. The top 10 at the end of the year are fully exempt on the LPGA next season.

That is the goal for everybody, including Kono, who almost accidentally played on the LPGA Tour in 2012. A three-time All-American at UCLA, she went to Q-School the fall before her final season to try to save a space on the Symetra Tour after she graduated. An LPGA error forced her to finish the qualifying event — she tied for ninth — and give up her decorated college career.

She got her LPGA card and knew it would be a challenge. She admitted she was "overwhelmed" and her goal was to "soak in the experience." The tiny girl whose breakout win came at age 11 when she captured the State Women’s Match Play Championship, missed every cut.

Kono played the Symetra Tour last year and enjoyed it so much she passed on LPGA qualifying last fall. Jang and Sakamoto jumped in and reached the final stage of Q-School to earn Symetra status.

Jang won the 2007 state high school championship while she was at Punahou and captured a college title just before graduating from Princeton last year with a degree in ecology and evolutionary biology.

Sakamoto won seven of the last 10 Hawaii women’s majors she played before turning pro. The Kalani graduate also set records at James Madison.

Ed Kageyama, the general manager at Ka’anapali Golf Resort and Punahou girls coach, is optimistic about the trio’s chances.

"I think all three have a great chance to be successful on the Symetra Tour," he says. "It’s still very good competition and winning is winning on any level.

"They can be in contention often, which will help their overall development. Playing with a lead or winning — at any level — is very difficult to do. Getting that experience is critical to getting to the next level."

Which is what everybody on the Symetra Tour wants to do. This week the tour had a "Quick 18" feature on Kono, who represents Ka’anapali. Among the revelations are that she describes herself (in one word) as "spontaneous," is addicted to sweets and loved "Barney" and the color purple when she was a child.

On the more serious side, Kono’s answer to "Where do you see yourself in the next five years" was short and to the point — "On the LPGA."

Jang is even more specific.

"My goal is to be in the top 10 on the money list in the 2014 Volvik Race for the Card," she says, "and earn 2015 LPGA Tour membership."

She plans to play nearly all the 20 events. Sakamoto also talks about coming home to try to qualify for the LPGA Lotte Championship, April 16-19 at Ko Olina. Symetra added five tournaments this year and is playing for a combined purse of more than $2 million for the first time. Two of the new tournaments are sponsored by Bands of the Potawatomi Nation.

Among those who started on this tour are Hall of Famers Lorena Ochoa and Karrie Webb, who just won her 40th tournament — in her 40th year — and Inbee Park.

Among those playing now are Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece, who just won in Australia, and 2005 U.S. Women’s Open champ Birdie Kim.

Hawaii’s Britney Choy, Ayaka Kaneko, Shayna Miyajima and Xyra Suyetsugu are members, along with University of Hawaii graduate Corie Hou, from Australia.

"I’m just pumped to play my first tournament on a tour," Jang says. "It’s amazing to see players that I’ve seen five or six years ago as juniors come together once again and play as professionals. I want to play well, but I also look forward to learning new things from other players."

Kageyama watched Jang train on Maui this winter and says her "controlled game" has gained power and length. Kono also has a controlled game, anchored by exceptional iron play. Sakamoto, some 6 inches taller than both the Punahou graduates, can overpower courses.

But at this point, all three know what goes on above the neck is a bunch more important than what goes on below. Jang’s best advice came from her parents?

"They have been helping me keep things in perspective," she says, "and to not be afraid of mistakes."