Kaua'i's Watabu Junior Golf champ

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

KAHUKU — The wheels did not come off for Kaua'i's Casey Watabu yesterday, but they did wobble just a bit.

Watabu, 17, rebounded from a tough four-hole stretch on The Links at Turtle Bay to capture the Callaway Hawai'i State Junior Golf Championship for 15-18 year-old boys. Watabu, who shot a 3-under-par 69 in Monday's first round, carded a 77 yesterday to finish at 2-over 146.

Kahuku's Andrew Ching, who shot an even-par 72 yesterday, finished second at 148. Casey Kobashigawa (75) and Troy Higashiyama (75) finished tied for third at 150.

Ayumi Hori of Salt Lake won the girls 15-18 division by shooting a 74-149 (5-over). Leah Whiting of Hilo finished second at 76-154.

Other winners in their respective age divisions were Kailua's Reyn Tanaka (boys 13-14), Wai-pahu's Kayla Morinaga (girls 13-14), Hilo's Sean Maekawa (boys 11-12), Wahiawa's Britney Choy (girls 11-12), Mililani's Travis Inouye (boys 10-and-under) and Kapa'a's Makana Sakihama (girls 10-and-under).

Watabu, a recent graduate of Kaua'i High School and an incoming freshman at the University of Nevada-Reno, had seven birdies on Monday en route to assuming a comfortable six-stroke lead. He birdied the ninth hole yesterday to go out at 1-over 37.

But Watabu ran into trouble on the par-4 No. 10 when his chip shot missed the green, leading to a bogey. On the par-4 11th, he went into the water and ended up with another bogey.

Problems continued on the par-5 12th, when his ball hit a tree and landed in a bunker, leading to a third straight bogey. Then on the par-3 13th, Watabu's tee shot missed the out-of-bounds marker by six inches. The ball was near a fence, however, and he had to take an unplayable lie. He two-putted for a double-bogey.

Ironically, Watabu birdied three of those same four holes on Monday.

"Everything was working then," he said.

In another group, Ching was making his move on that same stretch yesterday. Ching, who began the day seven strokes behind Watabu, also shot 37 on the front and went par-birdie-birdie on holes 11-13.

"I didn't know he was doing that," Watabu said.

On 14, Watabu appeared to be headed for more trouble when he snap-hooked his tee shot into the trees. But with his back against a tree and his ball near the roots, Watabu punched a shot from 50 yards out onto the green. He then two-putted to save par.

"That was the turning point," Watabu said. "That got me back on track."

He parred the next two holes, birdied 17 and finished with a par to come in at 40. Ching parred the last five holes to finish the back with a 1-under 35.

Hori, 16, began the day with a three-stroke lead but had three bogeys on the front nine yesterday to go out at 39. She finished with a 1-under 35 on the back, however, to clinch the title.

"I missed a lot of greens, but I one-putted a lot of them," said Hori, a junior-to-be at Moanalua High School. "The hazards come into play everywhere here, and the wind — hoh ... I just tried to use my 4-wood as much as possible, get on the green, and get out of there."

Callaway Hawai'i State Junior Championships
At Turtle Bay Country Club and The Links at Kuilima

Monday's and Tuesday's Results

Boys

15-18

Casey Watabu 69-77—146

Andrew Ching 76-72—148

Casey Kobashigawa 75-75—150

Troy Higashiyama 75-75—150

Kevin Shimomura 77-76—153

Dylan Nakano 79-75—154

Grant Yasui 76-79—155

Chaz Inouye 78-78—156

Matthew Ma 77-80—157

Koa Furtado 82-77—159

Chase Chulakote 79-80—159

Steven Nguyen 78-81—159

Gavin Lee Loy 77-82—159

13-14

Reyn Tanaka 75-76—151

Corey Bartlett 79-78—157

Kurt Nino 81-77—158

Kellen Watabu 77-82—159

Jacob Low 81-82—163

Bret Netzer 79-88—167

Travis Toyama 82-87—169

Bronson Kalilikane 87-85—172

Bronson Maluenda 79-94—173

Aviam Krupnick 88-86—174

11-12

Sean Maekawa 71-69—140

Jordan Cox 74-72—146

Grant Narusawa 77-75—152

Thomas Robertson 72-80—152

Michael Sato 77-77—154

Jesse Aulelava 78-78—156

T.J. Kua 80-77—157

Noel Torres 80-78—158

Howard Pruse 80-79—159

Brandtlee Maluenda 79-80—159

10 and under

Travis Inouye 78-77—155

Ariel-Abraham Bollinger 81-80—161

Bradley Shigezawa 78-84—162

Christopher Llarenas 81-85—166

Kekoa Mountcastle 88-80—168

Ryan Yoshida 86-84—170

Cory Oride 90-91—181

Taylor Bell 107-94—201

Girls

15-18

Ayumi Hori 75-74—149

Leah Whiting 78-76—154

Lehua Wise 81-74—155

Merynn Ito 79-76—155

Joan Shimozaki 83-73—156

Lindsay Hong 77-79—156

Dale Gammie 80-79—159

Lisa Kajihara 83-78—161

Rie Ganir 83-81—164

Mariel Kotake 84-87—171

13-14

Kayla Morinaga 84-85—169

Shelcie Takenouchi 92-88—180

Randi Ono 94-88—182

Kacie Miura 97-87—184

Sara Yamamoto 94-92—186

Kelli Nakano 98-91—189

Terra Bell 99-96—195

11-12

Britney Choy 71-77—148

Ishia Lum-King 100-77—177

Miki Ueoka 93-88—181

10 and under

Makana Sakihama 89-101—190

Kristina Merkle 98-96—194

Hee Sue Condry 108-102—210

Rae-Lyn Morikawa 111-105—216