In Tiger Woods' wake of million-dollar contracts, teenage tour champions and astonishing juniors, amateur rules are fluid and far-reaching. The Fujikawa family has taken a crash course in amateur ambiguities the past three months.

Moanalua sophomore Tadd Fujikawa captivated the golf world with his 20th-place finish and great grin at January's Sony Open in Hawai'i. Mother Lori Fujikawa has been sifting through a mind-boggling mass of invitations, phone calls, pleas, e-mails and offers since.

Tadd, 16, has a precocious golf game clearly good enough for the pro tours. He complements it with an amiable personality that exudes humor, humility and kindness. He is a charmer, well illustrated recently when he showed up at the SBS Open at Turtle Bay Pro-Am on Valentine's Day with roses for Laura Davies, Taylore Karl and Kimberly Kim.

Mothers want to hug him and fathers want to be him. After Sony, their kids are simply in awe. He is marketing magic, wanted by everyone from Oprah and "The View" to tournament directors worldwide.

But Tadd wants to stay in school, play junior tournaments, compete in USGA amateur events and attend college, along with accepting a few pro exemptions. Turning pro is a tempting prospect financially, but it's not on the Fujikawa's radar now. Remaining an amateur can be incredibly complicated.

CHECKING ALL OFFERS

For every offer the Fujikawas consider, there is usually an e-mail to the USGA asking how it would affect Tadd's amateur status, according to Lori. Often, the answer is no.

"Everything we do they have to go through," Lori said. "People don't realize what we've got to go through. Tadd is not able to do something other golfers his age can. It's only because of our status right now. With Tadd's reputation now ... he has a lot of influence."

The Fujikawas have had to decline a series of favors for friends and strangers after detailing the request for the USGA. An educational video on recycling for elementary students was nixed.

"We were like, 'Oh my God,' " Lori recalls. "There are some things you can do for charitable and non-profit groups, but even some non-profits you can't do."

The family's travel party to Japan this week for the JGTO's Chunichi Crowns is 10, with family, friend/caddie Garret Hayashi and "a ton of omiyage." The Fujikawas could use financial help for the travel expenses, but can take nothing.

"Including Tadd and I," Lori said. "They didn't approve it. Maybe if it was a junior tournament it would be OK, but it's a pro event and international. It (travel expense) has to get approved by the USGA and Japan Golf Association. Both didn't want to make a decision at first. Then the USGA said no so Japan did too. It's hard."

RULES CHANGING

The USGA's mission to "safeguard amateur golf" follows this form: "The purpose and spirit of the Rules is to maintain the distinction between amateur golf and professional golf and to keep the amateur game as free as possible from the abuses that may follow from uncontrolled sponsorship and financial incentive."

Kaua'i's Mary Bea Porter-King, president of the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association, knows the USGA's dilemma more than most. She was on the USGA amateur committee a few years back and helped liberalize the rules to allow golfers to get financial help, with stipulations. Rules for equipment and clothing were already fairly liberal.

The organization puts out a book on the subject and Porter-King acknowledges the rules are "always changing." The Fujikawas have also called her for advice.

THE FUJIKAWA IMPACT

In many ways, it is a good problem to have. Porter-King is extremely proud of Fujikawa, an HSJGA member now famous and in demand, who should have his choice of college scholarships. Some 30 HSJGA graduates have been golfing on scholarship the last two years.

Porter-King believes the opportunities here have helped immensely, and the kids have closed the deals with their play and demeanor.

Fujikawa is a high-profile part of a promising trend.

"His impact has been very, very positive," Porter-King said. "People are starting to see the pattern of our kids coming out of the state program playing top-notch golf. Last year our alumni held two of only 13 national championships, plus they had six collegiate victories in the fall (college) season alone. When I run into people now they bring up the program before I do and the statement is always 'You've got a great program,' to which I respond, 'We've got a lot of talent.' "

SCHEDULE FILLING UP

All the offers, and the need to qualify for USGA events, has made Fujikawa's scheduling an intricate puzzle. He will play in the AJGA's Thunderbird International Junior next month in Arizona, with Kono, Kimberly Kim and Ayaka Kaneko. He is also planning to play the U.S. Open local qualifier at Turtle Bay and has accepted an exemption to play in the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open in August.

From there, even the Fujikawas aren't quite sure.

"There are a lot of things to think about," Lori said. "There isn't one critical deciding factor when we're trying to figure it out. We think about how ready he'll be, his frame of mind, his school.

"We also think about the atmosphere and if it's really worth it to spend all that money to go there. How worth it is it for him, how beneficial?"

And especially, how much fun?

"I would tell anyone, first and foremost, to make sure you're having fun," Porter-King said. "It certainly appears that he is. It has to be a game and not a job. Keep it fun."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.