Nishiura, Leong move on to today’s final

It might not take a century for women to fully sense the tradition of the Manoa Cup, which has been around for 108 years. But it probably won’t happen this morning, when Mari Nishiura and Aiko Leong play for the inaugural women’s title in Hawaii’s amateur match-play championship.

The recent high school graduates have known each other half their lives. They are so close, and so similar, they call themselves twins.

Their golf games also could be clones. Both started with Casey Nakama’s junior program. Both have risen through the junior and high school ranks to a level that earned them college scholarships — Nishiura to Nevada and Leong from Brigham Young.

When they tee off at Oahu Country Club’s first tee at 7 this morning in the women’s final, they will admit to nervousness, but the emphasis will be on having fun with a friend.

“It’s going to be fun,” Leong said after holding off 14-year-old Millburn Ho 2 and 1 in a Thursday semifinal. “We were hoping to play in the final match. We’re both really excited that it’s going to happen tomorrow.”

Ho, transitioning from Niu Valley Middle School to a prep academy in Arizona for high school, didn’t win a hole until the 12th, but was only 2 down. The six-time Hawaii State Junior Golf Association Player of the Year squared the match with yet another one-putt par two holes later.

Leong ended it with one-putts of her own — following a brilliant chip and even more impressive approach shot — at Nos. 16 and 17.

Nishiura, who won two OIA championships at Mililani, captured the public school semifinal, 4 and 2, over Iris Kawada, a Castle grad and another of Casey’s kids.

That match was even at the turn. Nishiura won four of the next five holes to stop Kawada, who finished eighth at the NCAA Division III championship her freshman year at George Fox.

Over the first two rounds, Nishiura is just 4 over par — 3 over on the 12th — on a course she might play twice a year. If this was stroke play, she would have a huge lead heading into the final round.

“I hit some good pitches and made some pretty important putts today,” she said. “That definitely helped. It was basically the same as yesterday.”

Leong’s match was very different. She won 7 and 6 Wednesday, but Ho wouldn’t go away. On most holes she was 50 yards behind Leong after their drives, then short of the green with her approach.

It didn’t matter.

“Her short game is definitely the best part of her game,” Leong said. “I’d just figure she’s probably going up and down from here and, oh yeah, that’s what happened. Every single hole.”

Ho’s magic around the green ended in a deep bunker fronting the par-3 16th. She needed two to get out, while Leong was chipping within a foot for par.

On the next hole, Leong overcame blustery winds and a long day of frustrating wedge shots with a pure swing that got the ball to stop within 3 feet of the hole.

“Millburn put more pressure on me than yesterday,” said Leong, who won four state high school team championships at Punahou. “I felt myself shaking a little bit. Inside I didn’t feel nervous, but outside I was shaking, so I was trying to just get myself to breathe. Whatever happens will happen, so whatever.”

Which is about how Nishiura feels heading into this morning’s final, scheduled for 18 holes.

They might not sense the tradition the men have created in 108 years of legendary golf, but they plan on having as much fun.

“I’ll probably be nervous, but it will be super comfortable playing with Aiko, and my caddie (Zoey Akagi-Bustin) is one of my best friends,” Nishiura said. “I’ve known her even longer than Aiko and we’ve all known each other super long.

“We are so close. I want her to do well and I want myself to do well, so whatever happens happens.”