Nishiura repeats as Manoa Cup women’s champ

She is not even 19 yet, but Mari Nishiura probably wishes Manoa Cup had a women’s championship 109 years ago.

The Hawaii State Golf Association introduced the Women’s Flight last year, at its 108th Manoa Cup state match-play championship. Nishiura won it.

She did it again Friday, taking two of the last three holes to defeat Aiko Leong 1 up at Oahu Country Club.

A year ago the same two, fresh off graduation ceremonies at Mililani (Nishiura) and Punahou (Leong) played in the inaugural women’s Manoa Cup final. Nishiura won that 2 and 1.

Nishiura came back from her freshman year at Nevada to defend, bringing Brigham Young recruit Allysha Mae Mateo as her caddie. That talkative team never trailed, or played the 18th hole, until Friday’s final.

Leong, who just finished her freshman year at BYU, took her first lead on the seventh. It lasted one hole.

Nishiura got the advantage back when she blasted in a 35-foot birdie putt on the 11th, after Leong had chipped close enough for a gimme par.

Leong got even with birdie on the next hole and went 1 up again with par at the 13th.

Then, for the second straight day — and year — Nishiura found a way to finish. She had three birdies in her final five holes Thursday. In the final, she had three in her last eight.

She attributes much of that to a year of college golf.

“Before, I used to lock up a little more,” Nishiura admitted. “Even from when I was young, my playoff history was not that good. When I’m under that type of pressure coming in it makes me nervous. I think I’m channeling it a little better.”

After Leong hit her approach to a foot on the 15th, Nishiura covered her birdie with a 10-footer of her own. She hit it within 10 feet on the next hole and drained that to square the match.

That took it to the 17th, where the final ended last year and Nishiura’s tight semifinal with 14-year-old Karissa Kilby came to a close Thursday.

This time, Nishiura won the hole with par after Leong’s second shot squirted through the green.

Needing to win the 18th to extend the match, Leong reached the green in regulation while Nishiura pulled her approach from 140 yards out.

“I hit it and was like, ‘Oh, man,’” Nishiura said. “I was happy, though, because it was not in the bunker. I missed it far enough left.”

With some valuable advice from her caddie, Nishiura finessed a wedge shot within 10 feet of the pin. Then Leong pounded her putt from the bottom of the green 7 feet past the hole at the top.

“I just wanted to get it there,” said Leong, a member at OCC. “It was uphill and the wind was against me. It usually plays a lot slower than it did. I was surprised I hit it so far by.”

Nishiura, also surprised by the speed of Leong’s putt, hit hers — to win — too soft. But Leong could not convert her par putt and the halve ended it.

It also gave Leong something to think about for her sophomore golf season, and maybe the next Manoa Cup, when she and Nishiura could go for a three-peat.

“I need to do everything with more confidence,” Leong said. “I think that’s why I left my chip short on 17. I was afraid to hit it too hard. I should have just hit it like I wanted to and not worried about anything.”

Along with the Cup, Nishiura collected a $250 gift certificate and Leong won $150.