Their family’s superpower on the links is absolute poise.
Alexa Takai and Jordan Takai became a rarity on Monday, winning the ILH girls and boys individual golf championships at Hoakalei Country Club.
Alexa Takai carded a par 72 in unpredictable, swirling winds. The Punahou freshman edged teammate Jessica Lee, a sophomore. The two shared first place at 74 in the semifinal round at Pearl at Kalauao on April 10. On Monday, the long Hoakalei course coupled with unpredictable winds left Takai as the only player to make par. Lee finished at 4-over 76, four strokes behind her teammate.
“I’m excited to win in my first year in the ILH,” Takai said. “The par-5s, you kind of have to take advantage of. There’s a few short par-4s. No. 11, you might have 30 yards in. It was a little bit scrambley today. The par-3s can get a little bit long where you’re hitting hybrid. Some girls are hitting 3-woods. No. 17 was definitely playing tough. Those holes you’re just trying to get it near the green and get out with a par.”
Takai had three birdies, a notable feat under the circumstances. She entered the championships with a best-four average score of 68.25.
“When it’s swirling like this, it’s kind of hard to judge how far your ball’s going to go. One second, you’re setting up. Two seconds later, the wind completely changes on you,” she said. “It’s a little bit of being patient and accepting.”
Punahou sophomore Samantha Monroe put together rounds of 73 and 75 to finish seven strokes behind Takai.
The two courses tested the skill and patience of the ILH’s best golfers. Takai had a 2-over 74 in the first round at Pearl, which is sparkling after recent renovations.
“The greens are a little bit slippery, so you have to kind of figure out where it landed on every hole on those front pins. You’re going to have 20- to 30-footers no matter what,” she said. “It was a little bit more humbling and scrambling for me. In a few months, the greens will be a little bit easier.”
The flags at Hoakalei were often flapping vigorously on a sunny day.
“The rough here, the paspalum is a stickier grass, kind of tough. This course can be stretched out to 7,000 yards. It’s not the easiest walking course. There’s tunnels and the grass is just longer,” said Takai, who had played on the course around five times.
“We love challenging courses,” Punahou assistant coach Anna Murata said. “Our girls do better on challenging courses. Hoakalei, the wind was a factor. The length is a factor. Faster greens. Both beautiful courses in great condition.”
Murata is in her fifth season as assistant coach.
“Alexa is fantastic. All these girls are just fantastic. Their grit and determination throughout the season is to be admired,” Murata said. “We’ve had Tori (Victoria), the oldest sibling. Then Madison, Jordan, and now Alexa. Great family. Great parents. Great kids. I love them. They make this job really easy. Really fun.”
Jacey Kage of Hawaii Baptist finished fourth with a two-round total of 157, 11 strokes back. Punahou juniors Bri-Ela Nakagawa and Sydney Fuke finished tied at 158.
Alyssa Kauleinamoku (163) and Megan George (170) of HBA followed, while Rylee Elizaga (174) of Mid-Pacific and Hudson Omori (171) of Punahou rounded out the top 10.
Jordan Takai, a junior, carded a 3-over-par 75 and finished with a two-round 150, two strokes ahead of Island Pacific junior Ryder Obrero-Ueno (77-75). Hoakalei is home turf for IPA, which practices there twice per week. Takai is the ILH’s regular-season leader with a best-four-scores average of 70.5.
“I know Ryder. I’ve played with him before. He’s a really good player,” Jordan Takai said. “He had the lead and Taylor (George) had the lead on me both. My coach always tells me, make pars. The mindset is play conservative unless you have to play aggressive. Fortunately, it didn’t come to that.”
Buffanblu head coach Ian Parrish believes Takai’s skill set is built for tough winds.
“Naturally, Jordan has a lower ball flight, so that helps him a lot in the windy conditions. That’s something he’s very comfortable doing,” Parrish said. “He drives it 285, 290. He can move it. He and Alexa joke sometimes to each other. Their demeanors are very calm and even-keeled.”
George, a Maryknoll freshman, placed third (156), followed by Marcus Takahama (158) of ‘Iolani, Ethan Nouchi (159) of HBA, Aidan Sugihara (161) of ‘Iolani, Braylon Yamada (162) of Maryknoll, Maximus Waki (162) of HBA, Coel Berardy (167) of Punahou, Braydn Sato (167) of Kamehameha and Thomas Kim (167) of ‘Iolani.
Jordan Takai was on the 16th hole when he got word that his younger sister won the league title.
“I was wondering who won the girls tournament and my coach told me,” he said. “She’s a good player.”
Alexa Takai has learned plenty from her siblings, particularly Jordan.
“He’s beaten me a lot of times. He’s a really good player, so it’s good competition. We definitely make each other better and push each other every day,” Alexa Takai said. “It’s nice to have somebody who’s really competitive to be there every day. For us, we kind of keep the same adrenaline all the time. We’re calm no matter what.”
Punahou’s young girls team should give Mililani and the rest of the field a battle at the upcoming state tournament.
“This is a little bit of a confidence boost for the state championship next week. It’s nice to be be able to say that you’re part of something bigger than yourself,” Alexa Takai said. “When you’re playing for your team, it makes it a lot more special.”
The David Ishii/HHSAA Girls Golf State Championships are on April 29-30 at Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island. The boys state tourney is May 1-2, also at Mauna Lani.
“The program’s in a really good place. All the kids have put in a lot of hard work throughout the season,” Parrish said. “For Jordan and Alexa individually, winning the ILH right before states gives you that momentum going into it. They both have a really good chance if they stay within themselves and play the kind of golf they’re capable of.”
