Asao, Koshi emerge as Manoa Cup finalists

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Kellen-Floyd Asao and Ryan Koshi will play for the 93rd Manoa Cup this morning after semifinal triumphs that were as much a product of tenacity as talent.

Kellen-Floyd Asao and Ryan Koshi, above, will play in today's 36-hole final of the 93rd Manoa Cup at O'ahu Country Club. Cory Lum • The Honolulu Advertiser

Koshi, a porter at the Maui airport, will be 23 next month. Ota, general manager of Kaua'i landmark Tip Top Cafe — the family business — is 39. He felt every bit of it on O'ahu Country Club's no-level layout, in a venerable tournament that insists its golfers walk.

"I haven't played this a lot because of the walking," admitted Ota, who had never reached a quarterfinal before this week. "Now that I'm getting older, I figured I'd try and sneak in a couple more Manoa Cups while I still can do it. But these young kids are just real tough."

When did Ota first feel OCC fatigue? "I've been tired since Tuesday," the 1979 state high school champion said with a smile.

Ota was 1-up on Koshi after the first 18 holes, then won two of the first three holes after lunch to go 3-up. Koshi wouldn't go away.

His tee shot on the 211-yard, par-3 22nd (No. 4) tickled the edge of the hole for a gimme birdie. Koshi three-putted the 26th to drop three back again, but won the next hole with par, then drove the green on the par-4 28th and won with birdie. A 35-foot eagle putt on the 33rd evened the match.

"After 27 (holes) I started to get really tired and Ryan was still hitting the ball very solid and playing well," Ota said. "I just tried to hang in there. We both got tired, but he kept it up and played well."

Ota, then Koshi, nearly let it get away on the 36th (356-yard 18th).

Ota yanked his drive into the trees — far behind Koshi's —then snaked his second shot just short of the green. He drained a 12-footer for par. Ota one-putted nearly half OCC's treacherous greens, but would come up one one-putt short.

Koshi's second shot stopped 25 feet left of the hole, but his first putt flew eight feet by. Koshi watched Ota punch in his par, then quickly rammed in his comebacker.

The difference came down to a few inches on the first extra hole (425-yard No. 1). Both hit pitching-wedge approach shots too hard downwind. Ota's kicked high and stopped at the bottom of the slope behind the hole; Koshi's rolled through the green and perched precariously at the top of the slope, leaving him an easy chip.

After Ota hit yet another miraculous wedge shot, digging the ball out of the mud and grass and landing it softly eight feet from the hole, Koshi ran his chip within a foot for par. Ota's par putt missed.

"The wind was really blowing," Ota said. "It's hard to figure the break and factor in the wind. I just didn't expect it to go so far right."

Asao will join his brother on the University of Hawai'i golf team in the fall. He follows him into the Manoa Cup final today. A year ago, Norman-Ganin Asao lost to Randy Shibuya.

"All he told me was that it was really tiring," Kellen said.

Yesterday, Kellen looked the freshest of the four semifinalists. Caycayon, who helped Kamehameha to the ILH team title this year, never led, but stuck around for 34 holes with a precocious game that showed few flaws.

Asao was 1-up after 18 and 2-up after sinking a 10-foot par putt on the 27th. Caycayon pointed to that, and Asao's dangerous downhill two-putt for par on the 11th, as the turning points. He appeared to be in survival mode from then on.

"I'm kinda tired," the 15-year-old admitted. "Kinda exhausted."

Both were playing in their first Manoa Cup, and coming off two to-the-wire victories. Their games were erratic in the morning but found their rhythm in the final half of an eight-hour day. Asao attributed it to his putting; he spent his lunch hour on the practice green.

"I found my stroke there," Asao said. "That started it. But it was a tough match. Very tough.

"This is a different kind of golf, but I like it. I like to gamble a lot, so this helps me."