Shibuya to defend Manoa Cup

By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser

Defending champion Randy Shibuya will be joined by six previous champions as the 93rd Manoa Cup begins tomorrow morning at the O'ahu Country Club with a qualifying round to determine the seeding for the 64-player field.

As the reigning champion, Shibuya drew an exemption and will be seeded No. 1 as the match-play competition starts with the first two rounds Tuesday.

Other former Manoa Cup champions include four-time winner Brandan Kop, two-time winner Guy Yamamoto, Art Fujita, Jack Omuro, Dick Sieradzki and Damien Victorino.

Among the more than 100 players attempting to qualify are Norman-Ganin Asao, who lost 2 and 1 to Shibuya in last year's 36-hole final; and high school standouts Grant Yasui of Pearl City, the OIA champion, and Kamehameha's Christian Akau, who won the ILH individual crown, and 2000 state boys' champion from Waiakea High School, Ryan Masuda, who is home for the summer after his first year at Purdue.

Michelle Wie, the 11-year-old Punahou School sixth-grader who won the Jennie K. Invitational earlier this month, is also entered.

Wie, who is playing in this weekend's Maui Open, is trying to become the first wahine to qualify for the Manoa Cup. Three-time Jennie K. champion Anna Umemura was the first of her gender to attempt to qualify two years ago but failed in her bid.

The third round will be played Wednesday, the quarterfinals Thursday, the semifinals Friday with the 36-hole final scheduled for Saturday.