Different scenario, same goal for amateur golfer

By Bill Kwon

A year ago this week, Mark West had been looking forward to the 54-hole Hickam Invitational. He won his first golf tournament locally, the Barbers Point Invitational, and was anxious to see if he could win again — this time at his home course, Mamala Bay, located at Hickam Air Force Base.

"That's my goal, winning at Hickam," says Mark West. "It would be very special for me to win there." Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

He never had the opportunity. The Hickam amateur event was canceled because of 9/11, which put the military base on "Threat Condition Delta," the highest possible alert.

"What happened (last year) hit everybody hard," said West, whose personal scenario seems as though it has been put on hold for a year.

The Hickam Invitational is back with West once again looking forward to the tournament after winning at Barbers Point for the second year in a row.

"That's my goal, winning at Hickam. It would be very special for me to win there," said West, Hickam's club champion the past two years. It is not just about winning and trophies.

His father, Col. John West, was Hickam's vice wing commander before being reassigned to Cheyenne Mountain near Colorado Springs, Colo., in June.

And West's wife, Darcy, is a staff sergeant based at Hickam AFB.

The pair met through mutual friends after West came to visit his father two years ago.

"I came to visit and ended up staying," said the 28-year-old West, a quality control specialist with Del-Jen, a housing maintenance company.

His job keeps him busy. He might practice some at the Mamala Bay course because he lives on base. But West says he's lucky if he can get to play a round of golf once a week during the summer months.

"I'd like to take my game to another level, but I have a family to look after," said West. Darcy is due to give birth in three weeks. They have another daughter, Bailee, 7, from a previous marriage.

"Darcy's very supportive. Also my company," said West, who is glad that most of the local amateur tournaments are 54 holes so that he has to take only one day off to play in them.

He had to take a vacation for the 72-hole Mid-Pacific Open, finishing second this year to wire-to-wire winner Regan Lee, a pro on the Gateway Tour in Arizona.

Still, West has come a long way in local amateur golf.

When he tried to enter the popular Hawai'i Pearl Open in 2001, months after arriving here, his application was returned to sender. And when he won the Barbers Point Invitational later that summer, someone in the gallery looked at the scoreboard and asked out loud, "Who's Mark West?"

Nobody's asking now after he successfully defended his title. He also won a Hawai'i Amatour event at Coral Creek in late July. Now he's considered the golfer to beat this weekend at Hickam in a field that includes some of the state's leading amateurs, including Brandan Kop, Joe Phengsavath, Del-Marc Fujita, Clayton Gomi, Randy Shibuya and the ubiquitous Michelle Wie.

"He can play. He's got all the tools," said Hickam pro Tom Stanfill. "It's hard to believe, but he really doesn't practice a lot. He could take it to another level if he really worked at it. He's a super guy, too. Very laid back."

"I think my game has improved in the last year. I know the reason," West said. "I'm now at peace with myself."

A native of New York, he was born in Plattsburgh, a town 15 miles from the Canadian border. West has played golf since he was 12, though without much success.

"I think I'm a late bloomer. I don't think I've hit my peak yet," he said.

His back-to-back victories at Barbers Point provided glimpses of how good he can be. He won in 2001 while playing the golf course for the first time. In his title defense last month, West posted five birdies in each of the first two rounds, shooting 69 and 68 before closing with a 75 to win by two strokes.

"The course just suits my game," said West, who took five- and four-stroke leads going into the final round both years.

West feels he's a good ball striker from tee to green, but his short game definitely needs help.

"I think I've got the worst game of anybody from 100 yards in," he said.

Playing with some of the top players locally has helped, according to West.

"They're very competitive but friendly. I feel as though they've accepted me. I enjoy playing with Brandan and I'm good friends with Joe P. (Phengsavath)."

Based on his performances so far this year, West is in line to be among the 12 top amateurs for the Gov. Burns Challenge Cup at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in November.

He would like to maintain his point-ranking by doing well this weekend. The Waikoloa Open at the end of this month is iffy because it's close to his wife's delivery.

Making the Governor's Cup team is West's next goal.

"You get a chance to make the Sony (Open) through the Governor's Cup," said West, well aware of an amateur's opportunity to qualify for the PGA Tour event at the Waialae Country Club.

West hopes to continue playing golf, even if not professionally, no matter where it will be.

His wife, an eight-year Air Force veteran, ends her tour of duty at Hickam in June. She had spent the first four years in Utah.

"We won't know until June whether we can stay here or have to go elsewhere. But I hope it's some place warm. I enjoy Hawai'i, I enjoy the people," West said.

Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.