Brent Grant holds on to win Mid-Pacific Open

Brent Grant opened the 61st Mid-Pacific Open by shooting the age of the event.

After the spectacular start, the Moanalua graduate turned California-based professional remained just steady enough over the next three days to add his name to the list of champions in the event regarded by many as “Hawaii’s Masters.”

Grant set the tournament and course record at 11 under par on Thursday and his round of 1-under 71 on a steamy Sunday afternoon in Lanikai was just enough to hold off Jared Sawada for the title with a total of 13-under 275.

“These guys are good. … It was never going to be cakewalk even after the 61 and I knew that,” Grant said after claiming the $15,000 first prize.

“It’s tough because this game is so fickle. I shot 61 and the next day I almost didn’t break par. It can turn on you like that. You have to be able to learn from your experiences and this week I was able to do that fortunately.”

Grant returned to Hawaii fresh off a win at the Golden State Tour’s Fresno Open and took command last Thursday when he tore through light winds at Mid-Pacific Country Club to post seven birdies and two eagles.

He followed with a 70 on Friday but his lead dwindled to three when he closed his round of 73 on Saturday with an 8 on No. 18. His cushion disappeared early on Sunday when a wayward shot on the par-5 third hole went out of bounds, leading to a double bogey and PJ Samiere caught him at 10 under with a birdie.

But Grant quickly discarded the miscue to reclaim the lead with three birdies over his next seven holes.

“It’s a long tournament. … You can’t let one bad hole affect you’re entire tournament,” said Grant, who leaves today for Dallas, where he’ll attempt to qualify for the AT&T Byron Nelson a week from now.

Still, Sawada, who was nine back after two rounds, moved into a tie with a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 13, then gave a stroke back with a bogey on the uphill 15th after his drive drifted left among the trees.

While Samiere dropped back, Sawada matched pars with Grant to stay a shot behind heading into No. 18 — not that he was wrapped up in the duel.

“I had no idea what the match was at until I saw the scoreboard when I drove up to the green. I was, ‘I’m only one back? Dang,’ ” Sawada said. “I seriously thought I was three back maybe, that I had no chance. I was just playing my normal game.”

Keeping focused on his own ball kept Sawada, the 2017 Mid-Pac Open champion, in contention throughout the day and he lined up a 19-foot birdie putt with a chance to catch Grant again. Playing the putt to hook to the left, Sawada sent it on its way and the ball caught the left edge of the cup before spinning out, leaving him to settle for a tap-in par to cap a second straight round of round of 4-under 68 and a total of 12-under 276.

“I felt the two years I spent in Canada (on the Mackenzie Tour) really helped leveling up or getting to the next level in my golf. I would say it showed this week,” Sawada said. “I played way more aggressive the time that I won. This year I played much more conservative, I didn’t have any big numbers, I played really steady and I shot the same score as the year I won.”

Samiere finished third at 9 under followed by fellow Punahou graduate Alex Ching at 6 under. Parker McLachlin, the 2016 champion, made a run at the leaders with a 31 on the front side before leveling off on the back and finishing with a 71 and in a tie for fifth at 4 under.

Tyler Ota, the four-time Hawaii State Golf Association Player of the Year, won the tournament’s championship flight for the third straight year, winning a playoff with close friend Matthew Ma.

Ota finished regulation at even par for the tournament after a round of 71 and went into the playoff after Ma bogeyed his final two holes. Ota then rolled in a 10-foot birdie putt to finish atop the amateur standings.

“I just wanted to post even and Matt’s a great player. It’s just one of those things,” Ota said. “It’s always fun competing against him, but at the same time I’m rooting for him.”