Posted on: Friday, October 15, 2004

ISLE FILE
Irons closing in on world surfing title

Advertiser Staff

Kaua'i's Andy Irons won his third-round heat in the Billabong Pro yesterday at Mundaka, Spain, and moved a significant step closer to a third consecutive world championship.

Irons recorded the top scores of the day in his win over Brazil's Armando Daltro. Irons' top two rides received scores of 9.1 and 9.03 for a total of 18.13.

Six-time former world champion Kelly Slater of Florida lost in yesterday's third round — falling to Shane Beschen, 12.16-9.67 — and was mathematically eliminated from world title contention.

The Billabong Pro is the eighth of 11 contests on the 2004 World Championship Tour.

Irons and Australia's Joel Parkinson are now the only two surfers with a shot at the world title, and Irons is currently ahead of Parkinson by more than 1,000 points.

TENNIS

BYUH's Liu wins national opener

Top-seeded Jing Jing Liu of Brigham Young-Hawai'i defeated Daria Segenchuk of East Central (Okla.), 6-0, 6-0, yesterday in Division II singles play of the ITA National Small College Championships at Ft. Myers, Fla.

Liu and Adrienn Hegedus, the top-seeded doubles team, won two matches to reach the final. They beat a team from Tarleton State, 6-0, 6-2, and a team from West Florida, 6-1, 6-1.

Also yesterday, BYUH's Dorian Porada lost in men's singles to Tomas Hladil of Central Oklahoma, 6-3, 7-5.

GOLF

Hayashi opens with 71 at club pro event

Hilo's Kevin Hayashi shot a 1-under-par 71 yesterday to lead a contingent of seven Hawai'i golfers in the Western PGA Club Professional Championship at Patterson, Calif.

Hayashi was in a 14-way tie for 35th place, five strokes behind co-leaders Matt Schalk, of Boulder, Colo., and Tracy Stansberry, of San Jose, Calif., at the Diablo Grande Resort's Legends West Course.

The other Hawai'i golfers in the 72-hole tournament are: John Lynch (73), Brian Sasada (73), Matthew Pakkala (73), Jerry King (75), Kevin Carll (75) and Brendan Moynahan (79).

A field of 144 is competing for 32 berths in the national tournament in June 2005.