David Saka and Tyler Ota won out in a four-way playoff to capture the championship flight of the 10th annual HSGA Four Ball Sunday at the Ted Makalena Course.
Three teams — Saka and Ota, Scott Ichimura and Mike Kawate and Kolbe Irei and Davis Lee — opened with a 9-under-par 62, then shot 65 in Sunday’s final round. Shannon Tanoue and Mark Takahama fired 63-64 to join the playoff at 15 under, with Takahama birdieing the final hole of regulation.
ALOHA SECTION PGA GOLF TIP
CURING THE SHANK
Many of us have suffered from shanking from time to time. It seems to rear its ugly head more often than not in chipping, pitching and bunker play. Often the culprit is a swing path that is too much to the right of the target (or too inside-out) for the right-handed player. A simple solution is to put a barrier on the outside of the swing path. This barrier can be another golf club, a ball pick-up metal tube, a piece of wood, or even a cardboard box. Place the barrier close to the swing path; about an inch or two away. Start with some practice swings with no ball to get the feel of swinging on a neutral path. When you feel comfortable, add a golf ball. If you collide with the barrier, you are swinging too much to the right of your target. This can take the hosel of the club to the ball. If you are able to swing without hitting the barrier, you should be back to hitting good shots.
—
John Hearn is an Assistant Golf Professional at Oahu Country Club.
The teams all parred the first playoff hole (No. 1). Saka and Ota, who double-bogeyed the final hole of regulation, birdied No. 2 to win.
High school seniors Claire Choi and Alanis Sakuma won the inaugural women’s championship in the Hawaii State Golf Association event. They fired consecutive 65s — 8 under on the women’s card — to win by four shots over Kaylee Akagi and Lorraine Char. They were the only teams under par.
Jon-Michael Tubai and Rocky Reed (65—136) won the A Flight by three shots. Markus and David Miyashiro beat Clifford Nishikawa and Rodney Kawamoto in a scorecard playoff for the B Flight title. Both teams shot 70-71.
Golf Day clinics
Registration is open for the sixth annual Hawaii Junior Golf Day, a free clinic March 11 at courses on the four main islands.
The day is designed for new golfers. Clinics run from 9-11 a.m. and are taught by PGA professionals. Parents will receive a “Roadmap to Junior Golf” to help children enroll in junior programs.
Junior Golf Days will be at Hawaii Prince, Ko Olina, Olomana, Turtle Bay and Mililani on Oahu, Hilo Muni and Hualalai on the island of Hawaii, Ka‘anapali, Wailea Emerald/Gold and Kahili on Maui and Princeville Makai and Puakea on Kauai.
Register online at hsjga.org or show up at 8:30 a.m. March 11. The first 60 to register for each site receive a gift.
Planos event March 20
The Gary Planos Invitational will be March 20 at Kapalua Bay. The event will honor Planos, who died a year ago at age 62, and his “legacy to the Hawaii golf industry, and celebrate his life and love for the game.” Planos came to Hawaii some 40 years ago, after attending the University of Illinois (Urbana-Champaign) on a full scholarship from the Evans Scholars Foundation, run by the Chicago area-based Western Golf Association. His first job was bag boy at Kapalua. He retired in 2011 as senior vice president of resort operations. He also ran the Tournament of Champions, which opens the PGA Tour year.
Planos earned the Aloha Section PGA’s Bill Strausbaugh Award three times. The award honors pros who improve working conditions, mentor and enhance the game’s image.
Invitational proceeds will be donated to the Evans Scholarship Foundation. Planos joined the group’s board of directors in 1997 and remained a member the rest of his life.
The tournament format is a three-person scramble with shotgun start at 12:30 p.m. Cost is $600 per team or $200 for individuals, which includes an awards party at Hale Hokulani after. Tee gifts will be from Maui Jim and Titleist.
Entry deadline is March 15.
