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The Honolulu Advertiser


Advertiser Staff

Posted on: Thursday, September 24, 2009

Junior golf match play championship on Maui

 • Kauai's Wise starting to find comfort zone

The third annual Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association Ka'anapali Match Play Championship will be this weekend at the Ka'anapali Kai Course. The top 48 players in five age divisions qualified to compete.

The top five qualifiers among boys 15 to 18 are Justin Keiley, Bradley Shigezawa, Alika Bell, Thomas Yamashita and Lorens Chan. The top five girls in the 13-18 division are Cassy Isagawa, Alina Ching, Ciera Min, Allisen Corpuz and Hee Sue Condry.

Matches begin at 6:30 a.m. Saturday.

This will be the last event in the points race to qualify for the third annual USA Hawai'i-Japan Junior Cup. That tournament is Nov. 5 to 8 at Waikoloa's Kings' Course on the Big Island.

The tournament is a fundraiser that features 44 of the best juniors from Hawai'i and the Japan High School Golf Association. The format is similar to Ryder Cup and Solheim Cup, with teams of 13 boys and nine girls. Japan won the inaugural event and Hawai'i won last year.

The theme this year is Juniors Joining Nations Through Golf.

"A friendly competition like this event surely helps the youth not only to brush up their golfing skills, but also to understand each other beyond the cultural differences," said Katsuhito Ishida, JHSGA Administrative Director. "We believe this tournament will become a bridge over the Pacific Ocean."

Hilton Grand Vacations is the presenting sponsor and other sponsors are being sought. Those interested should contact the HSJGA at 532-0559.

INSTRUCTIONS

TURTLE BAY OFFERING GET GOLF READY SERIES

Turtle Bay Resort's next series of Get Golf Ready starts Tuesday. The resort is offering the five introductory lessons on Tuesdays or Thursdays, taught by its staff in a small-group environment.

The Tuesday series is at 10 a.m. and runs through Oct. 27. The Thursday series is Oct. 1 to 29 at 4 p.m.

Cost is $99. Registration is available at www.TurtleBayGolf.com

The national program is aimed at adults who have limited or no experience in the game. The five lessons provide basic skill instruction and information about rules, etiquette and values.

Get Golf Ready graduates can advance into other free and low-cost programs offered through Play Golf America. For more information, call 293-8574.

Turtle Bay will be the site of this year's Hawai'i State Open and next year's Hawai'i state high school championships.

QUALIFYING

CHUN AND MIYAJIMA AT LPGA SECTIONAL

Hawai'i's Mari Chun and Shayna Miyajima will try again at the second LPGA Sectional Qualifying Tournament, which starts Tuesday at Plantation Golf & Country Club's Bobcat and Panther Courses, in Venice, Fla.

Chun and Miyajima missed out at the first sectional last week in California. This sectional has 114 players, including reigning NCAA champion Maria Hernandez, 10-time Ladies European Tour winner Gwladys Nocera of France, and Norway's Marianne Skarpnord, who won the Deutsche Bank Ladies Swiss Open in May.

Skarpnord and Hernandez tied for 32nd at the first sectional. The top 30 and ties advance to the final LPGA Q-School in December. Hawai'i's Lehua Wise and Ayaka Kaneko advanced last week.

The Florida sectional has players from 22 countries and 27 states.

NOTES

Kaua'i's Po'ipu Bay Golf Course will undergo a greens renovation project beginning in April. The former home of the PGA Grand Slam of Golf will be closed approximately eight months. Re-opening is planned for December of 2010. The project will include a complete renovation of all greens, replacing original Tifdwarf Bermuda grass with a Sea Shore Paspalum hybrid (Supreme).

Foursomes of Big Island residents are eligible for a special $75 group rate this weekend at Makalei Golf Club. Eligible tee times run between 11:24 a.m. and 1:48 p.m. Saturday and 8:12 a.m. to 12:36 p.m. Sunday. To reserve a tee time, e-mail kevinginoza@hawaiiantel.net.