McLachlin among Pearl Open leaders

By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser

Some golfers were left in the dark again in the 27th Hawai'i Pearl Open, but Hawai'i's Parker McLachlin and California's Will Yanagisawa, who both play on the Spanos Tour in San Diego, like their chances.

Japan golfer Sakura Yokomine and caddy Saori Motokariya line up a putt on the 12th green at Pearl Country Club. Marco Garcia • Associated Press

Unless he stumbles badly, the 29-year-old Japan pro will be in the final threesome with Yanagisawa and McLachlin in chasing the $12,000 top prize in the weather-plagued 54-hole tournament at the Pearl Country Club.

Forty-three golfers are scheduled to finish their second round this morning starting at 7:05, and the projected cut is expected to be at 145. The 15 low amateurs will also make it to today's final round.

They've been playing catch-up ever since Friday's first round, which was delayed two hours because of rain.

McLachlin and Yanagisawa played 26 holes yesterday to complete their first and second rounds but were among the early finishers.

A Pearl Open regular, Yanagisawa finished eight holes for a 65, and then played 18 more for a 66 for an 11-under-par 131.

McLachlin's at 132 as he carded the best second round of the day, an 8-under 63. He finished his suspended first round with a 69. Also at 132 is Don Berry, of Minnesota, who finished tied for third last year. Japan's Kunihiro Kamii is at 133.

Travis Toyama, a University of Hawai'i freshman, played 27 holes yesterday to be at 134, adding a 68 to his first-round 66. The 68 included a double-bogey 6 at the 15th hole and a bogey 5 at No. 7. Also at 134 is Takeshi Nakashima.

Toyama was the 2002 Manoa Cup champion.

The course has been shortened to a par-71 with the par-4 7th hole playing to a par-3 because of a flooded fairway. And scoring conditions were at an optimum as the golfers could lift, clean and place their ball.

"That sort of made it easy. And the greens are soft because of the rain, so you could shoot at them," said Joseph Summerhays, a Utah pro. Summerhays stuck around for the tournament after caddying at the Turtle Bay Championship for his father, Bruce, a member of the Champions Tour.

Summerhays, a 1997 Brig-ham Young University graduate, shot a 65 for a 135 in his first appearance in the Pearl Open.

Greg Meyer, who's trying to make it three in a row, is also at 135, following a 66 yesterday.

McLachlin had two chip-ins, the 15th and fourth, in playing the back nine first in his round of 63. He also birdied all four of the par-5 holes.

"I'm looking forward to getting this tournament," said the former Punahou School and UCLA golfer, who now resides in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Yanagisawa birdied Nos. 17 and 18 to complete his first round and then came back to turn in a bogey-free scorecard.

"It felt good to finish on a good note and it definitely helped when you have your rhythm and momentum going," he said.

Again, a lot of the interest focused on Sakura Yokomine, the 19-year-old Japanese LPGA rookie of the year who should make the cut with strokes to spare.

Her tee shots matched those of her playing partners the first two days — Chad Saladin, the reigning Hawai'i State Open champion, and three-time Mid-Pacific Open winner Regan Lee.

"She's amazing," said Saladin, who plays on the Arizona Gateway Tour.

"She hits it long and has a good short game. And she can putt, too," Lee added.

Sakura, as she wants to be called, shot a 67 on the first day and was 1-under par with one hole to go when play was suspended.

The talented youngster had a large and curious gallery following her wondering WWMD — What Would Michelle Do? — in comparison to Sakura if Wie hadn't withdrawn from the tournament as a precautionary measure because of a sore left wrist.

Reach Bill Kwon at bkwon@aloha.net