Reno, Nev. — Tadd Fujikawa transformed a day that began back in bogey land into a compelling peek at what could be his very long future yesterday, closing his first professional golf tournament with a flurry of birdies, clenched fists and that huge 16-year-old grin.

The Moana-lua High School junior opened the Reno-Tahoe Open with a 6-over-par 78 Thursday at Montreux Golf & Country Club. After five holes yesterday he was 10-over.

Then, the little guy who lit up this year's Sony Open in Hawai'i found his rare form. Fujikawa birdied five of his last 10 holes to shoot a 71 and finish at 5-over. The only three-putt of his professional debut came on his final hole, the 616-yard par-5 ninth, which he reached in two shots.

His final hours were all but flawless otherwise, but not miraculous. Fujikawa's frustrating first round kept him from making the cut and cashing a check at his first PGA Tour event as a pro.

It was over just as Fujikawa was getting his grinning, gregarious game in gear. He was actually giggling in the final hour, and coming as close to skipping as any self-respecting 16-year-old boy can.

"I want to play another 18," Fujikawa insisted. "I really got something going there. I was bringing it together. I got off to a bad start today — three, four and five went bogey, bogey, double (bogey). It looked like the spitting image of yesterday. It wasn't good, I wasn't happy.

"I just said 'You've got nothing to lose. Just go out there and bring it in on one hand' — you know, 5-over, one hand. I was on two hands for a while and kinda brought it back. I'm happy about that. I started hitting the ball a lot better and making a few putts."

It was a memorable end to a historic week. Fujikawa has been living large despite his age and small (5 foot 1) stature. His golf resume includes youngest to qualify for a U.S. Open (2006), youngest in 50 years to make a PGA-Tour cut (Sony, where he finished 20th) and a series of wins in adult open events, including the Hawai'i Pearl Open.

But the Fujikawa family's agonizing decision three weeks ago to have Tadd turn pro was controversial. They had received countless offers since Sony, turning down most to keep Tadd's amateur status. Finally, he convinced parents Derrick and Lori he needed to turn pro so the family could afford to stay in Hawai'i and still allow his game to grow.

This was Week 1 of the Fujikawas' learning process.

"I learned he has a lot more to learn," Lori said. "In his golf game, he needs to mature. I think his attitude was really good out here. Even yesterday, having shot that kind of round, having to hang in there, he showed he can keep himself together. I think the maturity of his golf game needs to grow. Getting a lot more experience will help."

Her son seemingly can't get enough. His new coaches, who work only with tour players, plead with him to practice less. When he finished yesterday, with another grinding 5-hour round, a series of interviews and autographs, he put his bag over his shoulder and headed off to play nine holes with friends.

His passion was evident both days. Thursday he hit what he thought were good shots that consistently flew over the pin or came up short in Montreux's "brutal" rough, which brought him immense grief. His early problems yesterday were more of the same.

Suddenly, Fujikawa found the Sony magic that had him as high as fourth on the leaderboard on the weekend. He was never buried in Montreux's rough again, didn't miss a fairway all day and when he finally converted a birdie, from eight feet on the ninth hole, he surfed the momentum straight through.

Fujikawa sank a 9-foot birdie putt on the first hole and punched the air. When he chipped in on the next hole, someone in his growing gallery yelled "Just seven more Tadd."

He reached the par-5 fourth in two shots and two-putted to drop to 6-over. When he drained one from 17 feet on the sixth, that uppercut caught on film so often at Sony re-appeared.

Fujikawa's great grin never really disappeared. It was evident even as he struggled, in front of the tournament's largest gallery, which ranged from 30 to about 200 by the time his rampage was over and he walked away yesterday to an ovation.

"I told him, 'If we had 18 more holes we could make the cut,'" said Travis Hansen, a Montreux assistant pro who caddied for Fujikawa, and told him on the 16th he was hitting the ball "way too good" to be shooting so bad.

"When he started making birdies, he hit so many good golf shots," Hansen said. "It was a great experience and he's got a lot of game. It will be fun to watch him progress. He considered it a learning experience and I think it was a great learning experience."

Of all the things Fujikawa learned this week, what stuck in his mind was that he cannot compound mistakes. The same holes where he soared around the turn yesterday "killed me" Thursday. And his three-hole trauma yesterday probably cost him the weekend.

"If played those 1-under instead of 4-over I'm close to making the cut," Fujikawa said.

He would have made it. Punahou graduate Parker McLachlin shot another 72 and made it on the number at even-par 144, despite bogeys on three of his final five holes. Castle graduate Dean Wilson made it with some to spare. Wilson birdied five of his first six holes yesterday to get on the leaderboard, but shot 40 on his second nine and is at 71-142.

First-round leader Steve Flesch followed up his 63 with a 69 and leads the tournament by two over Charles Warren. Fujikawa, much to his chagrin, won't get to chase them.

"It was a really good experience, my first tournament as a pro," Fujikawa said. "I really learned a lot, especially that at this level you can't make stupid mistakes. If you hit in the rough you're really going to pay for it. Yesterday I didn't play too well ... I hit the ball really well, better than I did today I think, but the distance control wasn't there yesterday and I really paid for it.

"I'm really happy I made the decision to turn pro and I stuck to it. I think it's going pretty well. I missed the cut in this one, but I learned a lot and hopefully next time, with the knowledge I gained from this one, I can do better."

Fujikawa's next tournament will probably be later this month on the Canadian tour. The family is also talking with the Japan Golf Tour Organization about bringing Tadd together with 15-year-old Japanese sensation Ryo Ishikawa, who won a JGTO event in May. Until then, his parents can relax, a little.

"It's just a matter of enjoying at this point," Derrick Fujikawa said. "It's hard for me to see him hit good shots and the score not show it. That's what really hurts me. Other than that, I'm just enjoying this, really, really a lot.

"It would have been good to make the cut though."

NOTES

After watching Tadd Fujikawa struggle in Montreux's tough rough for two days, playing partner Kevin Stadler found it on two of his last three holes. On the first, his attempt to blast out of the grass went about 10 feet. Stadler cursed loudly and ripped his wedge into the ground, then threw his ball away after the bogey dropped him to 3-under. Asked what she would do if her son had reacted the same way, Lori Fujikawa answered quickly: "I would run out there and choke his neck," she said. "He would never hear the end of it."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.