Lee wins by 4 at Mililani
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
MILILANI — Somewhere over the course of the Mililani Rainbow Open, Regan Lee realized he wasn't in Arizona anymore, and there really is no place like home.
Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser
The realization probably came as his 60-foot eagle putt meandered into the 52nd hole yesterday. Lee's stunning resurgence — "Really, I was just trying to two-putt and walk away with birdie," he said — effectively clinched the 29th annual championship.
Regan Lee helped seal his Mililani Rainbow Open victory with this 60-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole.
After missing his first two cuts on the Gateway Tour in Arizona, Lee came home to win by four over Philip Chun (74), Pearl Country Club pro Beau Yokomoto (70) and Chad Saladin (72), who is from Missouri but now stationed at Schofield.
Lee opened with equally impressive rounds of 4-under-par 68, then closed with a 73 to finish at 7-under 209. That was about par for the Mililani Golf Club course yesterday as final-round fidgeting and precarious pin placements induced few sub-par rounds. Five-time champion Lance Suzuki (69) was the only golfer in the 60s, surging into a tie for fifth with Ivan Cunningham (72-214). Kevin Hayashi (75) and Deron Doi (72) were the only others under par for the weekend.
"It was a little different today," Lee said. "You want to play like you had been the first two days because you were playing well. But I tried to play more aggressive the first two days. I guess when you have the lead you don't want to play too aggressive. One bad shot and it could be two or three shots right there.
"So I was trying to play a little conservative and a few holes it did backfire. I three-putted two or three holes today because I played toward the middle of the green. Most of the pins were on the edges."
Going into the 16th hole (477-yard par-5), Lee's four-shot cushion over Chun had dwindled to two. It would have been one, but Chun left what would have been his third consecutive birdie putt a spin short on the 15th. Lee, who had three-putted for bogey at 13 and 14, thanked Chun for the assist by ripping his second shot to the 16th green and landing the eagle.
"When he made the bomb on the next hole that kind of did it," said Chun, 37. "But it feels good just to have a chance to win. It's been awhile."
Chun's last local victory was the 1993 Rainbow Open — by two shots over Regan's brother, Reynold. After nearly a decade, the Lee family got even.
"Regan is playing very steady golf," Chun said. "Solid golf, smart golf. He keeps it in play, doesn't make too many mistakes. I made a big mistake early. It was tough to come back."
Lee came into the final day with a three-shot advantage and ultimately was too tough. He has won his last two Hawai'i tournaments (Mililani and Mid-Pacific) and three of his last six counting the Waikoloa Open last September. He left last night for his third Gateway event and won't be back until this year's Waikoloa.
He returns to Arizona with more baggage, in the form of confidence. Lee flew home Thursday night after early disappointment in Arizona. His game returned at sea level.
"I've been having a hard time getting adjusted to the altitude," Lee said. "The ball travels a lot farther. Depth perception there is pretty tough because there are a lot of sand traps and waste areas."
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• SHORT PUTTS: Regan Lee won $5,000 and a trip to Mauna Kea. ... Recent Iolani graduate Matthew Ma (76) won low amateur honors, birdieing the first playoff hole against Blaine Kimura (73) and Robbie Yoshimura (70). All finished at 218, along with pros Reynold Lee and Juan Rodriguez.
