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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 1, 2010

Kollmeyer made Guinness Book

 •  Wie upstages Seo's victory


By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Keith Kollmeyer eagled four holes during one round at Waialae Country Club on June 11, 1988.

ADVERTISER LIBRARY PHOTO | April 19, 1998

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Keith Kollmeyer set a record that none of the PGA Tour professionals could ever match while playing in the Hawaiian or Sony Open at Waialae Country Club: four eagles in one round on June 11, 1988.

You can look it up. It's in the Guinness Book of Records.

Kollmeyer died March 26 of a massive heart attack. He was 56.

"He was with me when he passed," said Stan Souza, another local golf pro and Waialae member. "We played golf that morning at Waialae and we were all together later that evening at my home, talking about golf and laughing, and next thing he had a massive heart attack. It's just a shock. He was my best, best friend and my kids' favorite 'uncle'."

"I moved to Hawai'i in 1971 and Keith was one of the best junior golfers at the time," said Greg Nichols, former Waialae head golf professional and now director of golf at Ko Olina.

At 16 and a junior at Kalani High School, Kollmeyer represented Hawai'i in the 1970 USGA Junior Amateur championship in Athens, Ga.

Kollmeyer won the Hawai'i State Amateur championship in 1975, teamed with Walt Morgan to win the Francis I'i Brown Four-Ball championship the following year and won the 1978 Kaua'i Open. His biggest triumph was the 1998 Mid-Pacific Open.

"It meant so much to him when he won the Mid-Pac Open," said his sister, Sharron Kollmeyer, a professor at Cal State Northridge.

Besides his sister, Kollmeyer is survived by his wife, Sumi, and mother, Shirley. A celebration of life will be held at Waialae Country Club, where he was a member since 1977. Arrangements are pending.