With Director of Golf David Ishii's influence, the Hawai'i Pearl Open has always had its share of intrigue. The 30th annual event next week will have more than its share.

Ryo Ishikawa, Japan's "Bashful Prince" and newest golf star, already announced he will return to Pearl Country Club, where the tournament will be played Feb. 8 to 10. Ishikawa, 16, turned pro this month at a Tokyo press conference, before some 300 journalists and 30 cameras. In May, he became the youngest winner of a Japan Golf Tour Organization event, capturing the Munsingwear Open KSB Cup.

Before that, as a 15-year-old amateur, he finished seven shots behind 2007 Pearl Open champion Tadd Fujikawa, who is a year older and has also now turned pro. Fujikawa will not defend his title because he has received a sponsor's exemption to play in the PGA Tour's AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am the same week.

Ishikawa, a former national junior high school champion, will be joined by at least seven other Japan teens at Pearl. Masamichi Ito, who missed qualifying by three shots last year at age 11, will be back Tuesday to try and qualify again.

Hawai'i will also have a large junior contingent. Bradley Shigezawa, Alex Chu, Taeksoo Kim, TJ Kua and Lorens Chan are entered. And, Punahou senior Stephanie Kono and freshman Cyd Okino will make their debuts in the event that was the first to diversify its field by inviting Michelle Wie when she was a 12-year-old amateur.

Former Pearl champions in the field include Ishii, who has won this six times, four-time champ Gregory Meyer, and Kevin Hayashi, Lance Suzuki and Turtle Bay representative Kiyoshi Murota, who have all won twice.

Hirofumi Miyase, who has played the PGA Tour and won last year's Chunichi Crowns tournament in Japan, will be at Pearl. He finished 18th on the 2007 JGTO money list. Meyer and Pearl participants Hidemasa Hoshino and Toshinori Muto were also in the Top 50.

Japan pro Toru Nakajima will return to the site of his 2006 Hawai'i State Amateur Stroke Play Championship. Nakajima was also a runner-up in that tournament last year and in 2005.

Kaua'i's Casey Watabu, the 2006 U.S. Public Links Champion, is back as a pro.

Eight spots are up for grabs in Tuesday's qualifier. The HPO field of 192 will be cut to the top 80 and ties after next Saturday's second round, with the tournament scheduled to end around 4 p.m. next Sunday. First prize in the $80,000 event is $12,000. Admission is free.

HILO SEEKS ENTRIES

Entry forms are available for the 11th annual Hilo Invitational Pro-Am and Golf Tournament, Feb. 22 to 24, at Hilo Municipal. Entries are at the golf course and online at www.808golf.com or www.aloha.pga.com.

Turtle Bay Resort's Kevin Carll fired a final-round 6-under-par 65 to capture last year's title by a shot over professional Joe Phengsavath and amateur Pono Calip.

For more information, contact Kevin Hayashi (895-4300) or Lance Taketa (987-2971) on the Big Island.

Last year, the Hilo Invitational donated $4,000 to East Hawai'i Special Olympics and the Big Island Junior Golf Association. The tournament has donated more than $25,000 to charities over the past 10 years.

COLLEGE WORKSHOP

Hawai'i's junior golfers interested in playing college golf are invited to the annual HSJGA College Workshop, Feb. 17 at I'ao Intermediate School Cafeteria on Maui. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.

The workshop is open to all HSJGA members, family and other interested individuals. It is free for HSJGA members and family and $5 for non-members.

Panel members will be former USC women's coach Cathy Torchiana, University of Hawai'i Assistant AD/Compliance & Eligibility Bill Bryant and King Kamehameha pro David Gerken, a graduate of New Mexico State's golf management program.

Topics will include SAT and ACT exams, effective resumes, academic and athletic preparation timelines, how to get noticed by college coaches and NCAA recruiting and eligibility regulations, along with other academic information. Literature on the same subjects and financial aid will be available.

For more information and to register, go to www.HSJGA.org or call 532-0559 on O'ahu.

BIG BREAK ON MAUI

A dozen women will be featured on "Big Break Ka'anapali," the latest installment of The Golf Channel's reality series that will air in the spring.

The Big Break concept brings together highly skilled golfers to compete in a variety of challenges that test physical skills and mental toughness. The winner is awarded her/his "Big Break," a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to compete in select professional tournaments, and other career-building prizes.

This year, former Big Break winner Tommy Gainey is a rookie on the PGA Tour and five former female Big Breakers have played on the LPGA tour.

Ka'anapali players include "40-something" Dana Bates, from California; Susan Choi, the lone amateur, from Massachusetts; Samantha Head, whose twin sister, Johanna, plays on the LPGA Tour; Italian model Sophie Sandolo; and Elizabeth Stuart, the first contestant to come from the First Tee program.

NOTES

Scott Verplank, winner of the 2007 EDS Byron Nelson Championship, will be featured on the next Golf Hawai'i show, which premiers Monday at 7 p.m. on The Golf Channel. Verplank had been winless on Tour for nearly six years before capturing the event that honors his long-time friend and mentor, who passed away a year earlier. The show will also have a segment on Maui golf courses. It re-airs Wednesday at 9 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 1:30 p.m.

Entries for the Kapolei Women's Club best-ball tournament can be downloaded at www.hswga.org. The tournament will be at Kapolei Golf Course March 17.

Hawai'i's USGA Junior Amateur Qualifier will be June 25 and 26 at Wailea Golf Resort. The national championship will be at Shoal Creek in Alabama, July 21 to 26.