Three-time Hawaii state high school champion Mariel Galdiano qualified for her fourth U.S. Women’s Open by finishing second at the qualifier in Beaumont, Calif., last week. The Punahou graduate was in California completing her freshman year at UCLA.
At 143, she was two shots back of medalist Paphangkorn Tavatanakit, an amateur from Thailand.
Galdiano, who turns 19 later this month, played in her first U.S. Women’s Open in 2011. She missed the cut that year and in 2013, but finished 42nd — as the second-low amateur — in 2015.
Last year Galdiano played on the U.S. Curtis Cup Team. In her first year at UCLA, she was second on the team with a 72.4 scoring average and had five top 10s, including a second at the Pac-12 Championships.
South Korean amateur So Whi Kang won the Hawaii qualifier, with Hawaii amateurs Malia Nam and Allisen Corpuz claiming alternate spots. Cheyenne Woods, Tiger’s niece, qualified at City of Industry, Calif. Woods won this year’s fourth “Wie Love Ping Pong” — Michelle Wie’s fundraiser for the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. The event raised $40,000 for the HSJGA Scholarship Fund.
The 72nd U.S. Women’s Open is July 13-16 in Bedminster, N.J. For the fourth consecutive year, the tournament received more than 1,700 entries from 47 states and 51 countries.
Wie, the 2014 Open champion, is exempt from qualifying.
Women’s senior tourney applications available
Applications are out for the 39th annual Hawaii State Women’s Golf Association Senior Championship. The tournament, open to HSWGA members 50 and older, is limited to the first 90.
It will be played Sept. 18 at Leilehua, with an 8 a.m. shotgun start. Cost is $85, $75 for military.
Qualifiers for junior tourneys announced
Qualifying for national junior events moved into high gear this month. The Junior PGA and IMG Junior World Championships were held together early last week at Wailua on Kauai, with the Optimist International qualifier at Turtle Bay Fazio Friday.
Kaiser’s Malia Nam earned her third trip to the Junior PGA Girls Championship, shooting 69 both days. Claire Choi secured the second spot after a five-hole playoff with Reese Guzman, who also fell to Choi in a playoff at the state high school championship.
Evan Kawai (72—139) earned medalist honors for the boys. The Aloha Section PGA also will be represented by Pono Yanagi.
The 42nd Junior PGA championships are July 18-21 (girls) and July 31-Aug. 3 (boys) at The Country Club of St. Albans, in Missouri.
The younger age groups were won by Davis Lee and Alison Takamiya (13-15), Joshua Chung and Jennifer Seo (11-12) and Jordan Hunter and Mira Kubo (10-under).
Junior Worlds, with 1,200 participants from 56 countries and 42 states, are July 10-14 in San Diego. Optimist International Championships run July 18-Aug. 2 at PGA National Resort and Spa in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Hawaii qualifiers are:
>> IMG Junior Worlds
15-18: Evan Kawai, Remington Hirano, Davis Lee, Pono Yanagi and Alanis Sakuma, Claire Choi, Miki Manta, Naomi Wong.
13-14: Noah Koshi, Peter Jung, Go Nakatsukasa, Jacob Torres and Kyung Eun Lee, Lana Calibuso-Kwee, Myah McDonald, Lacey Uchida.
11-12: Joshua Chung, Taiki Marsh, Dysen Park, Kade Kikuchi and Raya Nakao, Rachael Wang, Jennifer Seo,Teal Matsueda.
9-10: Bryce Toledo-Lue, Jake Otani and Mira Kubo, Kiara Johnson, Ava Cepeda, Kate Nakaoka.
>> Optimist International
Madison Takai (10-12); Joshua Hayashida (12-13); Katrina Huang, Kaylee Akagi, Shayna Lu and Tagiralani Luafalealo (13-14); Peter Jung and Jake Sequin (14-15); Lorraine Char, Kristin Miyagi, Jae Eun Park and Isabelle Won (15-18) and Remington Hirano, AJ Teraoka and Ikaia Bernardino (16-18).
