Ota played OCC's precarious back nine in 3-under-par 33. His 2-under 69 was one of just four sub-par rounds on the final day. His 1-under 212 left him the only man in red numbers for the week.

That, and a very cautious three-putt bogey on the 18th, were enough to beat Gary Kong (70) by one and Clayton Gomi (69) by two. Christian Akau (72) and Shannon Tanoue (70) tied for fourth at 217.

A month ago, Tanoue was tamed by 17-year-old Ryan Perez in the Manoa Cup final at OCC. But at the OCC Invitational, players seem to golf better with age. A year ago, 58-year-old OCC member Mervin Matsumoto won this championship. Peter Olson, 50, took a one-stroke advantage into yesterday's final round.

Olson played with Kong, 51, and Ota in the final group yesterday. That gave Ota, whose family owns Tip Top Cafe on Kaua'i, two OCC members to "draft" across Hawai'i's hilliest, most member-friendly course.

"I see the way they play and they know how to play this course," Ota said. "You got to keep it in play and below the pin.

"You've got to be really careful here. We don't have all the tricks the members here have. This course takes years of playing and being patient. A lot of the young ones, they just attack it. This is a course where you have to use strategy, so it's good for the younger players."

At the turn, Gomi and Kong were tied for first at 1-over, and Olson had dropped back with a disastrous quadruple-bogey seven on the ninth hole.

Ota birdied the 10th and 12th to tie Gomi, who birdied the 13th to seize the lead again, but played the final five holes in 2-over.

In contrast, Ota two-putted the 15th and 17th for birdie, launching his drive within 6 feet of the hole on the 344-yard 17th.

But his most decisive stroke might have been his softest. After missing the 16th green right, he pitched over the pin and was faced with a "downhill, scary" 20-foot putt from the fringe for par. He nudged the ball and it died in the hole as he ran along the fringe chasing it with his fist.

"I had to be very careful, but I got the speed just perfect," Ota said. "The ball just trickled in on its last roll. That was the difference."

That, a double bogey at the 11th and a treacherous pin placement on the 14th sealed Kong's fate. He left his second shot on the apron at 14, and delicately putted up to the hole, placed precariously on the slope. The ball missed the hole, picked up speed, and swung in a semi-circle back off the green.

Kong lipped out his par putt. He birdied two of the final four holes — slamming in a 20-foot putt on the 18th — and still came up a shot short. The 37-year OCC member has played this event some 20 times and is closing in; he finished third last year.

"I wish it could have been a little closer on that last hole," Kong said.

Ota won $750 in merchandise certificates — the maximum allowed for an amateur. Kong won $450 and Gomi $350.