Picture Mid-Pacific senior Zackary Kaneshiro, a contender for this week’s state high school boys golf championship, sitting with Maui broadcaster Mark Rolfing in the Golf Channel booth.

Imagine ‘Iolani junior Kamie Hamada shooting pictures of her idol, Paula Creamer, and reminiscing about the good old days — five years ago — when she met Creamer face-to-face at a Ko Olina clinic.

“I clearly remember being practically starstruck because I got to meet one of the top moneymakers on the LPGA,” recalls Hamada. “Although I laugh about it now, when I saw all of the little girl junior golfers watching their favorite players, it brought back so many memories of when I was their age and looked up to all of these women.”

Then there was little charmer Tyler Tamayori, a Manana Elementary fifth-grader who weighs in at 60 pounds. By the end of the LPGA Lotte Championship three weeks ago, the 4-foot-3 Tamayori was telling Michelle Wie where to go … to sign autographs for sponsors.

This week, the state’s best juniors are at Ka‘anapali playing in the David S. Ishii Foundation State Golf Championships. At the Lotte, a handful were at Ko Olina gazing wide-eyed into a future far beyond high school.

All it took was a media credential, which allowed them to craft a golf story from their unique perspective.

Kaneshiro worked as a “junior reporter” at the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii in January. He and the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association gathered a few friends — Hamada, Tamayori and “part-timers” Claire Choi and Alanis Sakuma, who assisted in setting up shots — to help at Lotte.

Their credential got them into the media center and the players/media dining area, otherwise known as Roy’s at Ko Olina.

They could venture inside-the-ropes in the scoring area to interview pros after each round. Armed with photo credentials, they took pictures and videos of golf fans, volunteers and LPGA pros to post on the tournament’s Instagram, Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Kaneshiro, who has committed to Santa Clara for the fall, got a tour of the Golf Channel booth with Rolfing. The access he had during the week, until he had to leave the final round early to go to his prom, allowed him to get up close and personal with many players.

“I was surprised at how laid-back the atmosphere of the tournament was,” Kaneshiro said. “All of the players seemed so relaxed and they were all so kind.”

At the same time, Kaneshiro saw just how focused they could be.

“After being at the Lotte, I learned that my emotions on the golf course have to be level,” he said. “I can’t get too excited and too frustrated.”

Choi, a Punahou junior, served as Kaneshiro’s assistant and got the opportunity to take a picture with Lydia Ko, a role model who had been the focus for a school project.

She also got close enough to watch Ko’s approach to a tough shot and was struck by her calm reaction to the predicament. “Watching the LPGA pros, I learned to be more patient and learn discipline on the course,” Choi said.

It paid off this week. The ILH champ’s goal going into the girls state championship was “to play the most boring golf possible.” She ended up winning a playoff over Maui High’s Reese Guzman for the individual title.

Hamada became interested in film and photography just recently. Her Lotte assignment only stoked her new passion.

Like Kaneshiro, Hamada was struck by the pros’ easygoing affability.

“I found it surprising how nice all of the professionals were,” Hamada said. “Although they might seem intimidating at first, many of them ended up being super bubbly and joked around a lot.”

Her favorite photo was of Creamer, looking typically intense between shots. Her best memory though, was being in Roy’s when it was swamped by pros during yet another rain delay.

“All of the professionals came in,” Hamada said. “It was like my 10-year-old dream come true.”

Tamayori had the best time per pound, and maybe the week of his young life. Kaneshiro sensed it and his favorite picture was of his little friend, standing in Roy’s with 2012 Lotte champion Ai Miyazato.

“I liked it the best because the pros always take time to take photos with their fans even when they are having a lunch break,” Kaneshiro said. “Also because it’s cute that little Tyler is taking photos with a pro.”

Tamayori’s grandfather, watching the broadcast in California, saw his grandson taking pictures of eventual champion Cristie Kerr on the green. After she won, Tyler asked her a question about her putting in the interview room.

He wasn’t scheduled to be there for the final round, but he had so much fun Friday he begged his parents to let him come back. Saturday was his 11th birthday so they gave him the gift of choice — play in the HSJGA tournament he had scheduled for Saturday, or withdraw and return to Lotte.

He came to Ko Olina, worked like crazy and when he got home found he had been accepted to Saint Louis. Tamayori called it his best birthday ever.

He was also “surprised that all of the LPGA pros were so nice and friendly” and that Creamer, Danielle Kang, and Lizette Salas “were very funny.”

He “loved doing this because I got to go behind the scenes, meet and talk with all the LPGA players.” From Kerr, he learned “to never give up, that golf is one of the hardest sports to play but also the most rewarding. But most importantly, to love golf and play for yourself and not for anyone else.”

Now his goal is to help bring a state golf championship to St. Louis, somewhere in the 2020s.

Tamayori’s favorite picture was of Wie, because she “is one of my favorite golfers and I got to interview her at the Lotte. I like her also because she played in the same junior golf as me, like HSJGA. She also hosts a tournament for junior golf for HSJGA at the end of the year.”