Kaua'i junior golfers tops in state

By Wes Nakama
Advertiser Staff Writer

Lehua Wise, a 2003 graduate of Kaua'i High School, watches her tee shot sail down the sixth fairway. Wise shot a 5-under-67 yesterday to win the girls overall title of the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Championships. Photos by Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Allan Baab, a senior-to-be at Kaua'i High, won a playoff to take the boys title.

Lehua Wise of Lihu'e and Allan Baab of Wailua won the girls and boys overall titles, respectively, in the two-day event.

Wise, a 17-year-old graduate of Kaua'i High School headed for New Mexico State University in the fall, shot a blistering 5-under 67 on Prince's "B" and "C" courses to win by 12 strokes over Mari Chun of Pearl City. Wise's two-day score was a 6-under 138.

"I hit 16 of 18 greens both days, and my putting is better," Wise said. "You have to put your drives in good position here, and I got used to the course. I was hitting my approach shots really well, close."

Wise began the day with a one-stroke lead over Lindsey Hong and Kelly Nakashima, and proceeded to make two birdies and five pars on the first seven holes en route to a 3-under 33 front nine.

Hong, meanwhile, was 2-under after her first six holes, but stumbled with consecutive double-bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9. Nakashima also fell behind, and Wise stayed hot on the back with two birdies and three pars on the first five holes.

"My putts were not dropping and I had trouble with my swing," said Hong, who played in Wise's group. "But it was so cool watching Lehua, because she was sticking every pin and all her birdie putts were dropping. The whole round, you could tell she would win."

That hasn't happened often for Wise, who took second at this year's state high school tournament and tied for third place at the Jennie K. Invitational in May.

"It feels really good to win, because you need a win to prove to yourself that you can do it," Wise said. "The ninth is the toughest hole, and parring that made my confidence better and I just went from there."

Hong, a Punahou senior-to-be who took second in the Interscholastic League of Honolulu in 2001 and 2002 before winning it this year, can appreciate Wise's rise.

"She always plays consistent, and I knew she could shoot that low because she's done it on Kaua'i," Hong said. "Today, her short game was so on, and she deserves it because she's a good player."

Baab also has been recognized by his peers as a solid player, but, like Wise, had struggled to break through the barrier of winning a big state tournament.

That changed yesterday, when he won in a three-hole playoff over Manoa Cup runner-up Kurt Nino. Baab, a 16-year-old senior-to-be at Kaua'i High School, rallied with a 4-under 32 on the back nine "B" course to finish with a two-day score of even-144 to force the playoff.

Each player parred the first two playoff holes on the "B" course, then Baab made birdie on No. 3 and Nino missed his 20-foot try.

In addition to beating Nino, Baab also finished one stroke ahead of 2002 Manoa Cup champion Travis Toyama.

"These guys are some of the top guys in the state, even though they're juniors," Baab said. "In other tournaments, I'd do well the first day but I kept screwing up on the second day. Today I didn't."

Baab credited his victory to "hitting greens" and steady putting.

"It really feels good to win," Baab said. "It feels like all my practicing and hard work paid off in one day."

Three of the top six girls and seven of the top 19 boys were from Kaua'i.

Other boys winners in age-group categories were Alex Nakao (13-14), Tadd Fujikawa (11-12) and Lorens Chan (10-under), all of Honolulu.

Girls age-group winners were Britney Choy of Wahiawa (13-14), Ha'aheo Manini-Hew Len of Honolulu (11-12) and Kristen Sawada of Mililani (10-under).