Sasada, Stubblefield win match play
Advertiser Staff
Makena's Brian Sasada went overtime to win his morning semifinal, then grabbed a 5-up lead early in the final and cruised to his second Aloha Section PGA/Turtle Bay Resort Match Play Championship yesterday.
The golf tournament — second oldest in Hawai'i after Manoa Cup — was held at Turtle Bay's Arnold Palmer Course.
Sasada defeated Matthew Pakkala, 4 and 3, in the final. Larry Stubblefield won his second senior championship when he beat Steven Hookano, 5 and 4, in wind and rain yesterday morning.
Pakkala is a pro at the private Kukio Golf & Beach Club on the Big Island. He defeated Hilo Muni's Lance Taketa, 1-up, in a morning semifinal.
From there, Pakkala struggled. Sasada won the first two holes of the championship match with par, lost the fourth when he hit in the water, then won four of the next five to take a 5-up advantage at the turn. Sasada's only birdie in the decisive run came on the par-5 ninth.
"You just play the golf course after that," said Sasada, who won his first title in 2000. "Make pars and let him chase you."
Pakkala cut his deficit by winning the 12th with par, but Sasada closed it out with pars on the next three holes.
Earlier in the day, Sasada defeated top seed Kevin Carll, 1-up on the 19th hole. Sasada drove safely on the extra hole (par-4 No. 1), but Carll, a pro at Ko Olina, hit out of bounds. Sasada's approach shot went into the bunker. He blasted out close and Carll conceded the match after missing his bogey putt.
Stubblefield won the inaugural senior match play title in 2001. He only lost one hole in yesterday's final against Hookano. That came after he had also taken a 5-up lead at the turn.
"You feel pretty good about the match then," Stubblefield said. "You basically try your best from there to play the golf course, but not do anything way too aggressive because time is on your side."
Stubblefield played the front in 2-under. He won the first two holes with par, then took Nos. 3, 7 and 9 with birdie. Both players bogeyed No. 6. Stubblefield closed the match with birdie at the 14th, hitting his approach shot to 18 inches of the hole.
