Lehman, Toyama capture Challenge

• Special report: Sony Open 2003

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

A year ago, the inaugural First Hawaiian Bank's Pro-Junior Golf Challenge closed with David Ishii, Hawai'i's most revered modern-day golfer, asking for autographs from the kids he just played with.

Tom Lehman looks on while teammate Travis Toyama smiles after driving off the 12th tee at Waialae Country Club. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

In big, bold letters Lehman, the 1996 British Open champion, wrote: "You are the Man!"

The boy who became the state's youngest state amateur champion last summer when he won the 94th Manoa Cup was in awe.

"When you're this close to them," Toyama said, "you can really see the quality of their play. And their personalities. He is very nice. ... And, they're pros. Everything they hit is good."

Toyama and Lehman were the only team to finish under par yesterday. Lehman drove the 353-yard par-4 first hole (tournament No. 10). They two-putted for birdie in the alternate-shot format and hung on with pars the final five holes.

Only two things stood between them and the championship on the 18th green — the birdie putt of Jerry Kelly, who will open defense of his Sony Open in Hawai'i championship tomorrow, and the longest 1 1/2-foot par putt of Toyama's life.

Kelly's partner, Michelle Wie, nearly chipped in from in front of the bleachers moments earlier. Her ball hit the flagstick and rolled above the hole. Kelly's putt slid over the edge but he got over the disappointment quickly by thinking back to his two hours with Wie, the 13-year-old who played in three LPGA events last year and tried to qualify for the Sony Open Monday.

"I can tell her parents are giving her good direction," Kelly said. "She's a great kid. She's going to be a fantastic golfer."

"It's hard to ignore that driving distance," he said. "She can hit that ball. She can drive so well she'll be a force before she can drive."

It was not enough yesterday. Lehman left Toyama the short putt for the win on the final hole and he did not disappoint. After every other team putted out, Toyama practically ran to Lehman's marker, put down his ball and batted it in the hole.

He did not want to give himself any more time to think.

"That was much scarier than anything in the Manoa Cup," Toyama said. "You're in front of thousands of people. I was really nervous."

It was worse admitted Toyama — a 5-foot-5, 125-pound University High junior — before he "hit a good drive past Mr. Azinger" on the 13th hole.

That would be Paul Azinger, 2000 Sony Open champion, who was also put to shame by Lehua Wise's approach shot on the final green. Azinger, who spent much of the round high-fiving partner Stephanie Kono, did the only honorable thing. He donated his $1,600 check to the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association. So did Vijay Singh.

Lehman donated his $5,000 first prize, giving his money to HSJGA for the second year in a row. Hawai'i's junior golfers collected another $12,000 from First Hawaiian Bank. Last year, the bank was so pleased after the inaugural Pro-Junior it doubled its donation.

SHORT PUTTS: David Gossett, the 1999 U.S. Amateur champion, played in the Pro-Junior for PGA Champion Rich Beem, who fell ill yesterday morning. ... Gossett is 23 and Ty Tryon 18. The combined age of those pros and their amateur partners — Christopher Souza (17) and Kurt Nino (15) — is still less than the age of Tom Lehman or Paul Azinger. Both are 43....Tryon was 17 when he became the youngest to qualify for the PGA Tour at the 2001 Qualifying Tournament. He didn't become eligible until he turned 18 last June and played only six tournaments due to illness. He is on a Major Medical Extension this season and needs to win approximately $500,000 in 21 events to keep his playing privileges. ... Large groups from seven elementary schools came to watch the tournament.

Jerry Kelly, right, gives 13-year-old Michelle Wie some advice during the Pro-Junior Challenge. Eugene Tanner • The Honolulu Advertiser

Tomorrow's Sony Open Round One

Tee Times

First Tee

7:20 a.m.—David Peoples, Robert Gamez, John Senden. 7:29—J.L. Lewis, Larry Mize, Marco Dawson. 7:38—Craig Stadler, Craig Barlow, Tim Petrovic. 7:47—John Rollins, Robert Allenby, John Huston. 7:56—Ernie Els, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen. 8:05—Spike McRoy, Chris Smith, Tom Pernice Jr. 8:14—Charles Howell III, Craig Perry, Jose Maria Olazabal. 8:23—Stewart Cink, Carl Paulson, Chad Campbell. 8:32—Glen Day, Jeff Maggert, Shaun Michael. 8:41—Cliff Kresge, Gavin Coles, Yasuharu Imano. 8:50—Jason Gore, Ty Tryon, Taichiro Kiyota. 8:59—Jason Buhs, Aaron Baddeley, Arron Oberholser. 11:45—Rory Sabbatini, Tim Herron, Greg Chalmers. 11:54—Brent Geiberger, Peter Lonard, Thomas Levet. 12:03 p.m.—Tom Byrum, Harrison Frazar, Ben Crane. 12:12—Vijay Singh, Dan Forsman, Ian Leggatt. 12:21—Gene Sauers, Rich Beem, Kenny Perry. 12:30—Sergio Garcia, Frank Lickliter II, Fred Funk. 12:39—Jonathan Byrd, Jeff Sluman, Notah Begay III. 12:48—Jim Carter, Geoff Ogilvy, Pat Perez. 12:57—James J. McLean, Darron Stiles, Yusaku Miyazato. 1:06—John E. Morgan, Akio Sadakata, Katsunori Kuwabara. 1:15—Andy Miller, Kenichi Kuboyu, Douglas Bohn. 1:24—Vance Veazey, Joel Kribel, Chris M. Anderson.

Tenth Tee

7:20 a.m.—Rod Pampling, Pat Bates, Bart Bryant. 7:29—Dudley Hart, Per-Ulrik Johansson, John Maginnes. 7:38—Olin Browne, Paul Goydos, Dicky Pride. 7:47—Craig Parks, John Cook, Joe Durant. 7:56—Bob Burns, Jesper Parnevik, Brad Faxon. 8:05—Loren Roberts, Shigeki Maruyama, Joel Edwards. 8:14—Cameron Beckman, Paul Azinger, Corey Pavin. 8:23—Carlos Franco, Dave Stockton Jr., Hidemichi Tanaka. 8:32—Todd Fischer, Tag Ridings, Regan Lee. 8:41—Anthony Painter, Richard S. Johnson, Joe Phengsavath-a. 8:50—Dean Wilson, Patrick Sheehan, Tomohiro Kondo. 8:59—Todd Barranger, Scott Laycock, Kirk Nelson. 11:45—Stuart Appleby, Jay Don Blake, Brian Gay. 11:54—Andrew Magee, Jonathan Kaye, Doug Barron. 12:03 p.m.—Robin Freeman, David Berganio Jr., Heath Slocum. 12:12—Chris Riley, Tom Lehman, Fred Couples. 12:21—Len Mattiace, Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco. 12:30—Matt Kuchar, Steve Lowery, Steve Jones. 12:39—Luke Donald, Jerry Kelly, David Gossett. 12:48—Esteban Toledo, Briny Baird, J.J. Henry. 12:57—Kaname Yokoo, Aaron Barber, Ron Castillo. 1:06—Jeff Brehaut, Brian Bateman, Royden Heirakuji-a. 1:15—Howard Twitty, Brenden Pappas, Mark Wilson. 1:24—Alex Cejka, Steven Akler, Patrick Moore.

Friday's Round Two Tee Times

First Tee

7:20 a.m.—Stuart Appleby, Jay Don Blake, Brian Gay. 7:29—Andrew Magee, Jonathan Kaye, Doug Barron. 7:38—Robin Freeman, David Berganio Jr., Heath Slocum. 7:47—Chris Riley, Tom Lehman, Fred Couples. 7:56—Len Mattiace, Jim Furyk, Chris DiMarco. 8:05—Matt Kuchar, Steve Lowery, Steve Jones. 8:14—Luke Donald, Jerry Kelly, David Gossett. 8:23—Esteban Toledo, Briny Baird, J.J. Henry. 8:32—Kaname Yokoo, Aaron Barber, Ron Castillo. 8:41—Jeff Brehaut, Brian Bateman, Royden Heirakuji-a. 8:50—Howard Twitty, Brenden Pappas, Mark Wilson. 8:59—Alex Cejka, Steven Akler, Patrick Moore. 11:45—Rod Pampling, Pat Bates, Bart Bryant. 11:54—Dudley Hart, Per-Ulrik Johansson, John Maginnes. 12:03 p.m.—Olin Browne, Paul Goydos, Dicky Pride. 12:12—Craig Parks, John Cook, Joe Durant. 12:21—Bob Burns, Jesper Parnevik, Brad Faxon. 12:30—Loren Roberts, Shigeki Maruyama, Joel Edwards. 12:39—Cameron Beckman, Paul Azinger, Corey Pavin. 12:48—Carlos Franco, Dave Stockton Jr., Hidemichi Tanaka. 12:57—Todd Fischer, Tag Ridings, Regan Lee. 1:06—Anthony Painter, Richard S. Johnson, Joe Phengsavath-a. 1:15—Dean Wilson, Patrick Sheehan, Tomohiro Kondo. 1:24—Todd Barranger, Scott Laycock, Kirk Nelson.

Tenth Tee

7:20 a.m.—Rory Sabbatini, Tim Herron, Greg Chalmers. 7:29—Brent Geiberger, Peter Lonard, Thomas Levet. 7:38—Tom Byrum, Harrison Frazar, Ben Crane. 7:47—Vijay Singh, Dan Forsman, Ian Leggatt. 7:56—Gene Sauers, Rich Beem, Kenny Perry. 8:05—Sergio Garcia, Frank Lickliter II, Fred Funk. 8:14—Jonathan Byrd, Jeff Sluman, Notah Begay III. 8:23—Jim Carter, Geoff Ogilvy, Pat Perez, 8:32—James J. McLean, Darron Stiles, Yusaku Miyazato. 8:41—John E. Morgan, Akio Sadakata, Katsunori Kuwabara. 8:50—Andy Miller, Kenichi Kuboyu, Douglas Bohn. 8:59—Vance Veazey, Joel Kribel, Chris M. Anderson. 11:45—David Peoples, Robert Gamez, John Senden. 11:54—J.L. Lewis, Larry Mize, Marco Dawson. 12:03 p.m.—Craig Stadler, Craig Barlow, Tim Petrovic. 12:12—John Rollins, Robert Allenby, John Huston. 12:21—Ernie Els, K.J. Choi, Retief Goosen. 12:30—Spike McRoy, Chris Smith, Tom Pernice Jr. 12:39—Charles Howell III, Craig Perry, Jose Maria Olazabal. 12:48—Stewart Cink, Carl Paulson, Chad Campbell. 12:57—Glen Day, Jeff Maggert, Shaun Michael. 1:06—Cliff Kresge, Gavin Coles, Yasuharu Imano. 1:15—Jason Gore, Ty Tryon, Taichiro Kiyota. 1:24—Jason Buhs, Aaron Baddeley, Arron Oberholser.

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