Posted on: Saturday, November 20, 2004
Three share Hawai'i State Open lead
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
'EWA BEACH — Joe Phengsavath and a couple of Arizona Gateway Tour buddies — Norman-Ganin Asao and Chad Saladin — shared the first-round lead in the Prince Resorts Hawai'i State Open after shooting 4-under-par 68s in calm conditions at the Hawai'i Prince Golf Club yesterday.
Matt Kodama, a University of Hawai'i senior, was alone in fourth with a 69 to lead all amateurs in the 54-hole tournament.
"It was easy out there. I should have shot better," said Kodama, the reigning Hawai'i State Amateur champion. "I hit 17 greens in regulation. ... Everything was either make a putt for birdie or make a putt for an easy par."
Randy Shiroma, who plans on turning pro in January, and Brian Sasada were next at 70, followed by John Lynch and Clayton Gomi at 71. Defending champion Chris Moe was in a five-way tie at even-par 72.
Like Kodama, it was a day of missed opportunities as well for Phengsavath and Asao.
Phengsavath felt it was like a two-stroke loss when he bogeyed the par-5 sixth hole in playing the Prince's "C" Course first. He pushed his second shot, which plugged in the bank of a lake.
A former UH golfer who turned pro earlier this year, Asao was 5-under when he ran into his first bogey at his 16th hole of the day, three-putting the par-4 seventh on the "C" Course.
Asao was glad to see Saladin tied with him for the lead. "We've played a lot of practice rounds together this summer," Asao said.
Saladin, a former GI once stationed at Schofield Barracks and now playing out of Gilbert, Ariz., finished birdie-birdie, including a chip-in at his 17th hole (B-8), to get a share of the lead.
At the difficult ninth hole on the "B" Course, which saw pro Peter Rice take a 12, Saladin hit driver and 6-iron to 10 feet to close with a flourish.
"It was the only putt I made all day," Saladin, who got on in two for two-putt birdies on three of the par-5 holes.
"The difference was the par-5s. I played them in even par," said Moe, a 43-year-old pro who runs a golf school in Sonoma, Calif.
The top 42 low scores and ties after today will make the cut for tomorrow's final round in the championship flight. The winning pro will earn $6,000.
Despite a double-bogey 6 at the ninth hole, Larry Stubblefield led the senior flight with a 2-under-par 70, for a three-stroke lead over Rodney Acia.
George Newbeck, last year's senior champion, was at 75 behind Ron Kiaaina Jr. (74) and Mike Iyoki (75).
Maui pro Dawn Kaneshiro and Lisa Chang, a Futures Tour player from Los Angeles, led the women's flight with 75s. Britney Choy, a Leilehua High School junior, 14-year-old Ayaka Kaneko and 10-year-old Cyd Okino each shot 78s.
Brandan Kop aced the 174-yard third hole on the "C" Course with a 6-iron but wasn't overly excited because he shot an 84.
