Kokx set to defend state title

Advertiser Staff

With the top three seeds receiving a bye and a former champion defaulting, yesterday's first round of the Hawai'i State Women's Golf Association Match Play Championship was reduced to five matches. None went beyond the 14th hole at Oahu Country Club.

Mari Chun (76), two-time defending champion Bobbi Kokx (77) and 17-year-old Stacie Nishimoto (78) automatically advanced after finishing at the top of Monday's qualifying round. Jade Merkle moved on yesterday when Keiki-Dawn Izumi had to default because of illness.

Kokx, a Kihei Elementary School teacher, will play Ha'aheo Manini-Hewlen in a quarterfinal. Two years ago, Manini-Hewlen won the 2002 U.S. Kids World Championship for 11-year-olds. Yesterday, she defeated Kathy Ordway, 7 and 5.

Nishimoto plays Bobbi Arakawa in the same bracket. Arakawa, a former Rainbow Wahine and 2003 semifinalist, beat 11-year-old Hee Sue Condry, 8 and 6.

In the first quarterfinal, at 8 a.m., Merkle will play Chun, who reached last year's final at age 15. Desiree Ting, a 2001 finalist, plays 2003 O'ahu Interscholastic Association champion Ayumi Hori in the other quarterfinal after 9-and-8 victories yesterday.

Semifinals start at 8 a.m. tomorrow. The final, scheduled for 18 holes, is at 7 a.m. Friday.