Youngsters invigorate Jennie K. Invitational

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Hawai'i's most venerable women's tournament is suddenly steered by a generation of players too young to drive a golf cart.

Stephanie Kono will defend her title when the 54th annual Jennie K. Wilson Invitational tees off tomorrow at Mid-Pacific Country Club. Kono captured two of the state's three women's majors last year at the tender age of 13.

The average age of Jennie K. champions over the last decade is 19.5. Throw out former Rainbow Wahine Bobbi Kokx and Kari Lee Williams and it plummets to 15. A year ago Kokx was the only player in the top eight not in school, though she attends regularly as an elementary teacher.

Scores are also in a free fall. Before 1997, 230 was a number to shoot for over three days. Last year, it wasn't even top five. Now, Kokx believes 220 is the magic number.

"What's neat is, the kids are so good it's made the rest of us play better so we're not totally embarrassed," says Bev Kim, the 1981 Jennie K. champion. "It's kicked the level up. Before we would get complacent, thinking anything under 80 would win. Now you know you need around par."

Kokx is more specific and, like Kim, not intimidated.

"You have to shoot even par to win," Kokx says. "We're supposed to shoot even par, aren't we?"

This new generation has grown up with that etched in graphite. In general, they are starting the game earlier and growing serious faster, with more encouragement from parents. Their equipment is high tech, as are their teachers. They have opportunities here and overseas that were unimaginable even a decade ago.

This week's Championship Flight ranges from 10-year-old Cyd Okino to the 58-year-old Kim, one of four former winners along with Kokx, Waiakea High senior Kira-Ann Murashige and Kono.

A year ago, Kono went wire-to-wire at Mid-Pac and finished at 224, the seventh-best score in history. In 2001, Michelle Wie became Jennie K's youngest champion at 11, and shot 220.

Only three have gone lower. Jackie Yates won her third Jennie K. in 1954, shooting 217. In 1970, the late Tura Nagatoshi tied that, and won by a record 21 shots.

Lori (Castillo) Planos eclipsed those scores in 1983. Coming off two national public links titles, four years of college golf and preparing fulltime to turn pro, she opened with a women's course-record 66 (then 7-under par) and finished at 216.

"I remember saying nice shot a lot," says Kokx, who played with her that day. "And nice putt once each hole."

No one has come within four of Planos' record since.

"I was always challenged to go as low as I could," says Planos, whose father and brothers are all golf pros. "Then go for better and better and better."

Twenty years later, the challenge seems to have been taken up again.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.