Kodama takes four-shot lead in state stroke play
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
Buoyed by two eagles, Matt Kodama took a four-stroke lead going into today's final round of the Hawai'i State Amateur Stroke Play Championship in a bid to become only the third player to successfully defend his title.
Kodama eagled the par-5 first hole and the par-5 17th to shoot a 67 yesterday for a 54-hole total of 217 at the Pearl Country Club.
Kodama
Toru Nakajima, the No. 1 player for Japan's Waseda University who is here on a spring break, shot a 68 and is alone in second at 221. Kellen-Floyd Asao, a University of Hawai'i senior, also posted a 4-under 68 to share third place with Hee Beom Kim at 222.
Nakajima and Asao had roller-coaster rounds. Nakajima had eight birdies, Asao seven. But the 20-year-old collegian from Japan had a double bogey at the par-4 15th and two bogeys, while Asao suffered three bogeys.
Yosuke Tsukada, also from Japan, is fifth at 223, while Tadd Fujikawa and Bryan Edwards follow at 224. Fujikawa, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Moanalua Middle School, shot a 73 despite four-putting the par-3 13th.
Starting the day in a three-way tie for the lead, Kodama quickly moved ahead to stay with his eagle at the 559-yard first hole, hitting a 3-iron from 230 yards to 5 feet of the pin.
He also got on in two at the par-5 17th and rolled in a 25-footer for his second eagle. Then, the former UH golfer wedged it to 2 1/2 feet of the hole to close with a birdie at the par-4 18th.
A three-putt bogey from the fringe at the par-4 15th was a wake-up call, said Kodama, who can join Paul Spengler and Damien Jamila as the event's only repeat champions.
Spengler won the inaugural State Amateur at the Waialae Country Club in 1964 and repeated the following year. Jamila won three consecutive years (1990 to 1992) and added a fourth title in 1998.
There won't be a three-peat for Kodama if he wins today. He plans on turning professional after the Mid-Pacific Open next month.
"These will be my last two tournaments as an amateur," said Kodama, who plans on playing in a mini-tour in Las Vegas this summer.
Last year, Kodama birdied the final hole to win by one stroke. He hopes to enjoy a bigger margin of victory.
"It feels comfortable to have a four-stroke lead. I just have to go out and play solid golf tomorrow," said Kodama, who is finishing up his degree this semester and helping UH golf coach Ronn Miyashiro.
The final round will begin at 11:19 a.m. today.
