Kaiser’s Malia Nam got her wish and finally went low in a golf tournament. Moanalua’s AJ Teraoka fought off a cold and hard-charging competitor Kolbe Irei.
Nam won her third OIA girls golf individual championship by firing a 6-under 66 Tuesday at the Turtle Bay Fazio Course. Her lowest round previously was a 65 in a practice round for the tournament.
“For the longest time, I couldn’t break through that wall of 67,” said Nam, a senior who also won the OIA as a freshman and as a junior in a nine-hole playoff against Kalani’s Miki Manta. The USC commit lost to Manta as a sophomore.
Nam finished with a two-round total of 8-under 136, seven clear of runner-up and playing partner Tagiralani Luafalealo of Moanalua. Luafalealo started the day two shots behind Nam and couldn’t catch up despite a 1-under 71.
Manta, Nam’s four-year rival, was never in real contention, going 76-78 for a 154.
Nam eagled the par-5 10th in both rounds. On Tuesday, she also had six birdies and two bogeys.
“I’m glad I played well because states is in about a week here at the same course and I have a good feeling that I can play well here again,” she said. “I felt confident when I stepped up to putt.”
Nam said another eagle putt, on No. 4, stopped an inch short of the hole, as did two other birdie putts in the 10- to 15-foot range.
In addition, Nam and teammates Sara Keppel, Elisa Nishimoto and alternate Emily Lei took the team trophy with a 471 total. Moanalua and Mililani tied for second at 497. The Cougars have won the OIA four years in a row.
“I’m really glad my teammates pulled through,” Nam said. “The dynamic and energy we have is really great.”
On the final hole (the par-4 10th), Nam made an 8-foot birdie putt and gave a fist pump, the first indication all day that she was happy with the way she was playing.
“She finally let loose after she made that putt,” Kaiser coach Wade Nakamura said. “She’s not one to get overly emotional.”
Moanalua winning the OIA boys golf title is nothing new. Na Menehune did it for the 12th consecutive time Tuesday, led by Teraoka’s individual victory. Joshua Tomita, Taylor John McGerity, Ray Kim, Kody Kikuno and Jordan Chung also shared in the team win with a two-round score of 602. Roosevelt took second at 637.
Teraoka, a senior and UH commit, shot an opening 3-under 69 on Monday and closed with a 71. The 4-under 140 total was just one better than the Rough Riders’ Irei, who started the day four behind.
Irei appeared to be about to come home with the victory. He was 6 under through 14 holes, and on his 15th hole of the day (Fazio’s No. 6), he drove into a tree and the ball fell to the ground just 100 yards from the tee.
“I had to go down the seventh fairway and ended up with a double after I missed a 3-foot bogey putt,” Irei said.
On the final hole (Fazio’s ninth), Irei needed to make his 25-foot chip and it went about 3 feet past.
“But it missed the hole by about 2 inches,” he said.
Meanwhile, Teraoka two-putted from just off the green from about 14 feet to clinch it by one shot.
“AJ played solid,” said Irei, who is a sophomore. “He didn’t make mistakes and he kept on making pars, and that’s kind of hard when you start the round four shots back.”
Teraoka, who had a persistent cough, had four birdies to overcome his three bogeys.
“I grinded it out this week,” Teraoka said. “I didn’t hit the ball too good, didn’t hit any fairways at all on Monday and I had a four-putt, but I didn’t make too many mistakes.”
