AROUND THE GREENS
Fujita's first ace comes at right time

By Bill Kwon

"It cost me several hundred dollars, but it was worth it," Del-Marc Fujita says after buying the drinks. Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser

It came on his 38th birthday Sunday, on a playoff hole that won a match, and on a hole that is overlooked by the apartment of his auntie who had just passed away.

Fujita's ace on the 197-yard second hole at Ala Wai Golf Course propelled him and partner Garret Omuro over Bronson Maluenda and Sam Rodriguez to the quarterfinals of the Francis Brown Four-Ball Tournament.

"I can't think of a better birthday present. It's hard to top," said Fujita, who used a Precept U-Tri Tour ball, of course. He owns the Bridgestone golf distributorship locally, and Precept is one of his products.

Fujita's ace also came with a request.

"You can exclude me from your next article," he said, referring to a golf column in June of 2003 about a number of tournament golfers not having a hole in one.

Jay Hinazumi, who along with partner Neal Takara advanced by also winning, 1-up in 20 holes, was approaching the first green when he heard a roar and saw the celebration at the second tee.

Hinazumi yelled over to Fujita, "You left the club!"

Thinking Hinazumi thought he had left a club on the teeing area, Fujita replied, "I didn't leave any clubs."

"No," Hinazumi said again, "You left the 'No-Hole-in-One Club.' "

Remaining members still include Hinazumi, pro Casey Nakama, national public links champion Guy Yamamoto and women's golf hall of famer Bev Kim.

Also, fine amateurs Norman Inouye and Elton Tanaka.

It's a club that Hinazumi also wants to be no part of. "Maybe it's my turn next," he said.

It can be a long wait.

Al Souza, the 1980 Manoa Cup champion, waited 45 years before getting his first ace. The wait was 36 years for NBC-TV golf analyst Mark Rolfing.

It was more than 25 years for Fujita since his junior golf days on Kaua'i. For a while, he thought his father, Art Fujita, who has eight aces, hogged the family share.

Del-Marc Fujita has had a double eagle, a feat rarer than an ace. But it's still not the same as golf's ultimate one-shot swing.

Fujita was last to hit in the foursome Sunday.

The others all had missed the green, so when Fujita saw his tee shot head for the flagstick, his first thought was, "All right, we'll win the match."

Then the ball disappeared into the cup and the celebration began.

Years of waiting ended for Fujita, who bought several rounds for the gang at the clubhouse afterwards.

"It cost me several hundred dollars, but it was worth it, being the first one," said Fujita, noting the significance of the site of his first hole in one.

"I was thinking of my auntie (Judy Funada) who passed away last month. She lived in an apartment overlooking the tee and green of the second hole. It was a very special moment for me."

Jennie K.'s 'Bag Man'

Golf instructor Kevin Ralbovsky doesn't mind being called the "Bag Man."

During last week's Jennie K. Invitational, he caddied each day for one of three teen standouts in his golf program — Ayaka Kaneko in the first round, Mari Chun on the second day and Stephanie Kono in Sunday's final round.

During the second round, when Chun and Kono played in the same foursome, Ralbovsky would help both with their putting lines even though he was carrying the bag for Chun.

At first, even Mid-Pacific Country Club head golf professional Mark Sousa wondered if golfers can share the same caddie.

It's permissible, according to the USGA rules of golf, which Ralbovsky was very well aware of. That's why he had Kono carrying her own bag.

What the rules don't allow is a golfer having two caddies at any one time. Then it's a two-stroke penalty at both the first and second holes or no more than four strokes for the round in stroke-play competition.

The situation occurs often when golf carts are allowed in tournament play because a golfer can inadvertently forget that the driver of the motorized cart is deemed as the caddie for "carrying" the clubs and being responsible for all the other functions of a caddie.

If anyone else handles the golf clubs, it's a two-caddie violation.

No golf carts were involved in the case of Kono and Chun, who walked all three days. And Ralbovsky was gratified when Kono shot a final-round 71 the day he caddied for her.

When Ralbovsky looped for Kaneko, she shot a 78. Without him on the bag, she fired a 70 the following day. Chun posted a 70 without Ralbovsky and a 77 with him.

He was beginning to think he was a jinx.

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