Hilo girl Murashige, 15, takes Jennie K. golf title

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

LANIKAI — Perspective in Hawai'i women's golf has changed in the past year.

Kira-Ann Murashige won the Jennie K. Wilson Invitational with a 73 in the final round. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

She is just one of the girls, blowing her drives by more seasoned opponents and firing a 1-over-par 73 at a blustery Mid-Pacific Country Club in the final round of her first adult invitational.

Jennie K. is the first of Hawai'i's three major women's events, with the state match and stroke play to follow. The last golfer to win a major who could legally drive a golf cart (16-older) was Rachel Kyono in 2000.

Kyono is finishing her freshman year at Pepperdine. Murashige and her generation of grip-and-rip sisters are turning Hawai'i women's golf into kids' play. Michelle Wie and Stephanie Kono swept last year's majors at the tender ages of 11.

Murashige's closest pursuer yesterday was Amanda Wilson, 14, her roommate for the weekend. The Waiakea freshman closed in 1-under 71 to overtake everyone but the champ, whose winning total was 9-over 225.

Wilson also shot the low final round 10 days ago at the David S. Ishii Foundation State Girls Championship, overtaking everyone but teammate Leah Whiting, who tied for fifth with Desiree Ting yesterday.

Waiakea won the team title with Hilo second. Murashige, a Viking sophomore, tied for 18th and plotted revenge.

"The change was mental," she said. "I just tried to keep my timing good and hit the ball harder."

Amanda Wilson, a Waiakea freshman, finished second. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

First, Kono's touch deserted her. She bogeyed Nos. 9 and 10, triple-bogeyed the 12th with a four-putt and double-bogeyed No. 13 with a three-putt.

"I putted better than I expected the first two days," Kono said. "But today my putting got back to its usual state.

"When I had my triple bogey it threw me off. I wanted to cry already. Then I had a double bogey. Then I thought I have to play good, so I forgot about the bogeys. But Kira was playing really good."

When Murashige chipped in on the 10th her advantage was three. Bogeys at Nos. 12 and 13 still doubled her advantage over Kono, who collected herself to play the final five holes in one under and tie for third with Ayumi Hori (78).

Meanwhile, Wilson, who went into the final round six back, birdied four in a row — all with putts inside three feet — and was two back of Murashige after 13 holes.

"I was thinking maybe I could do it," Wilson said. "Just keep making birdies."

Murashige held Wilson off with the closing march of a champion: Easy birdie on the (377-yard uphill par-5) 16th — she barely missed a 12-foot eagle putt — followed by a cautious bogey and routine par.

Pressure? What pressure? When you're 15 and hit the ball 220 yards-plus, on a line, into the wind, golf life is good.

"I was just trying to par in," Murashige said. "I knew Amanda was playing good because she made the turn at 2-under."

Hori congratulated Murashige on the 17th green and Whiting put her arm around her as they watched players finish on the 18th. They realized the magic of the moment. Murashige is still pondering the possibilities.

"It's a big tournament you know," someone told her.

Murashige, laid-back and treading lightly around the attention, could only ask another question:

"It is?"

SHORT PUTTS: Kira-Ann Murashige and Amanda Wilson qualified for the U.S. Women's Public Links. ... Stephanie Kono might not defend her match play title because the dates conflict with U.S. Junior Girls qualifying.