AROUND THE GREENS
Hilo golfers driving force behind return of event

By Bill Kwon

Kevin Hayashi, above, is the "real inspiration" behind the event, says Waiakea boys golf coach Lee Hardy. Advertiser library photo • Dec. 9, 2002

They were instrumental in reviving a tournament that was once the pride of the Big Island and had played an important role on the local golf scene. They both recalled playing in the Hilo Open when they were in high school.

That was the motivating factor in starting the Hilo Invitational in 1998 after the Hilo Open ended for the second time in its history during the mid-1990s.

The original Hilo Open enjoyed an 11-year run starting in 1969 with Allan Yamamoto winning in a playoff with Adam Carvalho, another amateur, and pro Larry Ordonio. It ended after the 1979 tournament with Big Island native Alan Texeira becoming the only two-time winner of the event. Other champions included Ordonio, Morgan Fottrell, Harold Perry, Lance Suzuki, Larry Lee and host pro Walter Kawakami.

"We played it regularly in those days because it was popular," Yamamoto recalled. "It was more local style. They treated people well. That's why we went there."

The Hilo Open was briefly revived with Dan Nishimoto winning in 1992 and Casey Nakama the following year before it disappeared again.

Hayashi, the Mauna Kea Resort teaching pro, and Taketa, an assistant pro at Hilo Municipal, thought their hometown needed a big local tournament again to boost community spirit.

It is especially a no-brainer because Hilo, despite its rainy weather, has been the hotbed of high school golf in recent years.

Hilo and Waiakea are the reigning girls and boys state champions, respectively.

"We both wanted to have an open tournament in Hilo, on our side of the island to showcase the top players in the state," said Taketa, who coaches the Waiakea girls team.

"Kevin's the real inspiration. He got guys like David Ishii to come, which was something," said Lee Hardy, coach of the Waiakea boys team and a member of Waiakea's first graduating class (1980) with Hayashi.

Ishii, who played in the Hilo Open in the 1970s while attending the University of Houston, won the inaugural Hilo Invitational in 1998 in a playoff with Mike Pavao. Steve Veriato, a Hilo native playing on the Champions Tour, also competed that first year.

The list of champions since then is impressive. Besides Ishii, Hayashi won in 1999, Greg Meyer in 2000, and Dean Wilson in 2001 and 2002 before he joined the PGA Tour. There's also the one-time state long-drive champion Tommy Kim, who won last year while making his pro debut.

Kim, who's trying to qualify for the Canadian Tour, isn't back to defend his title. But this year's professional field chasing the $5,000 top prize includes Hayashi, Nakama, Kevin Carll, brothers Regan and Reynold Lee, Matt Hall, John Lynch and new pros Joe Phengsavath and Norman-Ganin Asao.

The 36-hole event also has attracted perhaps its strongest amateur field to date — Jonathan Ota, reigning Manoa Cup champion Kellen-Floyd Asao, UH-Hilo's No. 1 player Nick Mason and Travis Toyama.

Ishii will be on hand this week, but cannot play because of recent arthroscopic knee surgery.

"Kevin wanted to get a tournament back for the Hilo kids so that they can see other guys play. That's why we all went," Ishii said.

Nobody knows the importance of having more sponsors than Hayashi, who asked an old friend, Elton Tanaka, to help get the Hilo Invitational started.

"Elton was very kind to get involved," Hardy said.

Hilo guys stick together. Tanaka, the state's district manager for Sears before he retired, grew up near Hilo Municipal's fourth tee.

So it's not surprising that the restored tournament was aptly named the Sears Hilo Invitational. There's no title sponsor now, but KTA Stores and First Hawaiian Bank are among the strong financial supporters.

"We want to get it back to the style it was," said Hayashi, hoping that the Hilo Invitational will be a 54-hole event again. Right now, it's 36 holes preceded by a Friday pro-am.

Hayashi also hopes that future tournaments can include at least A and B flights instead of just pro and championship flights. He still remembers the days when he played at that level in high school.

Four women are teeing it up starting tomorrow — pros Christel Tomori, Camie Hoshino and Summerset Lovett, and Waiakea High junior Amanda Wilson. Tomori, who plays on the Futures Tour, and Hoshino, home on a vacation from Japan, are also Waiakea grads.

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