Posted on: Tuesday, May 3, 2005
Okada, Choy repeat in OIA
| • | Baseball: OIA tourney wide open with well-balanced field |
| • | Notes: OIA does have fan behavior policy |
| • | Game Breakers |
| • | All-Stars |
Advertiser Staff
Wai'anae senior Alvin Okada and Leilehua junior Britney Choy each repeated as O'ahu Interscholastic Association individual golf champions yesterday, cruising to victory at Turtle Bay Resort's Fazio Course.
Photos by Deborah Booker • The Honolulu Advertiser Choy shot a 1-over 73 yesterday to finish with a two-day total of 145, seven strokes better than runner-up Jackie Hilea of Moanalua. Choy had an even-par 72 in last week's first round at Makaha.
Pearl City won the boys team title with a two-day, four-player score of 602, and Roosevelt repeated as girls team champion with a two-day, three-player score of 501.
Pearl City's top boys scorers were Sato, Sean Abreu, Brandon Myers and CJ Balboa. Roosevelt's top girls scorers were Heather Manini-Hewlin, Natalie Nakamine and Nancy Shon.
Okada began the day with a seven-stroke lead and quickly built it to 10 with a strong start, eventually finishing his front nine with a 4-under 32. But on his 10th hole, Okada hurt his wrist on an overzealous tee shot.
"I swung too hard and my wrist popped," said Okada, who will play for University of Hawai'i at Hilo next season. "After that I was scared taking it back (in the backswing) every time. I was lucky to pull (the victory) out."
He survived four bogeys in his back nine to post the lowest two-round OIA tournament score anyone in the league can remember.
Choy began the day with an eight-stroke lead over Hilea and maintained it by shooting an even-par front nine and 1-over on the back.
"I kinda struggled, I missed a couple greens," Choy said. "I sank a lot of one-putts to make pars."
Choy said she was confident the lead would hold up, but did not take anything for granted.
"I knew people could still catch up," she said. "I didn't play as well as I would have liked to, but I'm still really happy, because to win the OIA is a big thing."
The top 45 eligible boys and top 32 eligible girls in the OIA advanced to the state tournament.
Okada set an unofficial tournament record with a two-day score of 6-under-par 138 to outpace runner-up Michael Sato of Pearl City by six strokes. Okada, who fired a 6-under 66 in the first round at Makaha West on April 25, carded an even-par 72 yesterday despite playing the final nine holes with a sore right wrist.
Wai'anae senior Alvin Okada shot a two-round score of 6-under-par 138 to win by six strokes. Leilehua junior Britney Choy finished with a 145 to win the girls division by seven strokes.
