Rediscovering their love for the game

For 109 years now, the Manoa Cup has been a memorable part of Hawaii’s rich golf history. What better venue for the long awaited return of Anna Umemura Murata and Joe Phengsavath to competition?

When the Manoa Cup — officially the Hawaii state amateur match-play championship — tees off Monday at Oahu Country Club, two of our most memorable and affable golfers will be there, amateur status and huge smiles back intact.

Phengsavath turns 42 Saturday. He hasn’t gone after a Manoa Cup since turning pro in his 20s. He got his amateur status back eight months ago, seeking it in part because of injuries suffered after getting hit by a car while riding his bike.

“I hadn’t seen Oahu Country Club in more than 13 years,” Phengsavath said Monday. “I just played a practice round today. The course looks so different. The reason I picked this tournament is because OCC is short so there’s no need to hit it far.”

Then “Joe P.” chuckled and sounded more like the guy whose nonstop good nature has entertained friends and opponents on the course over the years.

“Us old guys,” he said, “will putt the young guys to death.”

Murata remains the only woman to win all three amateur “majors” in the same year. She accomplished it her senior year at Punahou (1997), after winning three of the first four girls high school championships (she didn’t play in 1996 due to a wrist injury). She won a total of seven majors — State Stroke and Match Play and Jennie K. — between 1994-2000 and reached three U.S. Junior Girls semifinals.

Murata got a full ride to Tennessee and turned pro after graduating in 2001. But when her father died due to a fall after a game at the University of Hawaii in 2004, her competitive spirit died with him.

“It was completely gone,” Murata acknowledges. “I really had no desire to play since dad passed away. I hadn’t even thought about playing competitively again, but the last couple years I’ve been playing more socially and people kept asking, ‘are you going to play again?’”

That her return comes in Manoa Cup she characterizes simply as “surreal.” Hawaii’s most storied tournament just opened up to women last year and eight played.

There are 18 this year. Jeanne Pak is the oldest, at 47, followed by Murata at 38. Everybody else is between 12 (Katrina Huang) and 21 (Izzy Leung).

“I can’t believe I’m the old one now,” Murata says. “It’s so weird to me.”

There are 80 in Open flight, with a 60-year age difference between the oldest (Ron Wall at 73) and youngest (Joshua Hayashida, 13). Nearly half the field is not old enough to order a beer.

Phengsavath, born in Laos and living in Hawaii since he was 6, definitely is. He was a national racquetball champion — twice — before most of next week’s opponents were alive.

Then he started in on golf, taking lessons from Casey Nakama. He won the 2002 Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play and turned pro after earning the amateur exemption into the 2003 Sony Open in Hawaii.

He and Murata have no idea what will happen next week, but they do know it will be fun. With Phengsavath, who stops talking only to flash that gigantic grin, it always is.

“I don’t expect to go past Wednesday,” he says. “If I do go past then I’ll surrender … my legs will be cramping.”

Don’t expect him to go down easily.

“I might get in their head a little bit,” he says ominously, while laughing. “Those 17- and 16-year olds are on fire, but match play, 1-on-1, anything can happen.”

At the Manoa Cup, it always does and Murata can’t wait to partake. For her, golf is finally fun again. She “warmed up” for next week by playing a few team events, and found her competitive spirit was still there, along with her love for the game.

“Just the support of my friends and family, and their encouragement and patience, got me back to finding the fun in it again,” Murata said. “I really appreciate it. It makes me very emotional.”

But, like Phengsavath, the thought of walking short-and-steep OCC next week — a Manoa Cup rule — simply makes her tired.

“Joe and I just want to survive walking,” Murata jokes, then details her conditioning program and list of snacks and electrolytes she will have in her bag.

Brent Grant turned pro since winning last year’s Manoa Cup so he will not defend his championship. Mari Nishiura will, after setting the single-season scoring record her freshman year at Nevada.

Live hole-by-hole scoring will be available starting Wednesday.

The tournament will honor Hawaii Golf Hall of Famer David Ishii. Forty years ago he won the Manoa Cup. Ten years later, Ishii became the first foreigner to lead the Japan golf tour in prize money. In 1990, he won the Hawaiian Open.