KAPOLEI — Stephanie Kono's summer fell into place yesterday as she dropped the hammer on the field at a U.S. Women's Open sectional qualifier.

Kono, 16, fired a 74 and 75 at windy Ko Olina Golf Club to earn the lone spot in Hawai'i. She will be one of three Hawai'i teenagers — with 14-year-old Kimberly Kim and 16-year-old Michelle Wie — in the U.S. Women's Open, which begins June 29 at Newport Country Club in Rhode Island.

With yesterday's win, Kono also earns berths in the U.S. Women's Public Links, U.S. Junior Girls and U.S. Women's Amateur championships. If she hadn't won yesterday, she would have flown to San Francisco last night for the junior qualifier.

"This was my biggest goal for this year. To know I accomplished it and met my expectations feels really good," said Kono, who has won the state high school, Westfield Junior PGA and German Junior Masters in the past year. "Getting into the others is almost equally important. That makes your schedule set."

Miki Ueoka, 17, is the alternate after shooting 79-76, with a triple bogey on the final hole of the par-72, 6,420-yard layout. She and Kono shared medalist honors at the local qualifier.

A year ago, Hawai'i alternate Amanda Wilson got the call to play.

"I just have to hope because it is possible, we've seen it happen before," said Ueoka, who will be a Kaua'i High senior in the fall. "Definitely I'm excited. It will be pretty interesting to see what happens."

Kapalua pro Dawn Kaneshiro (80-78), the 1998 State Stroke Play champion, was nine shots back with most of those coming on the 13th hole. She took a seven on that-par 5 in the morning and an eight in the afternoon.

Kaneshiro was even for the afternoon before the 13th took her out.

"She needs to get revenge on that hole," Kono said.

Lori Planos, who won national titles in 1978 (U.S. Girls), '79 and '80 (U.S. Women's Public Links), was a shot back of Kaneshiro. Planos, a Maui Realtor, will return to the women's publinx this year, getting in as first alternate. Her caddie yesterday was father Ron Castillo, a member of the Hawai'i Golf Hall of Fame. Ueoka's caddie was Princeville Director of Golf Michael Castillo, Lori's brother.

Kaneshiro played with Kono and called her drive on the 10th in the afternoon the lone "hiccup." One of Kono's rare bad swings went so far right it missed the water hazard and ended up out of bounds. She took double bogey, but left a birdie putt a spin short on the next hole and drilled in a 12-foot par putt on the 12th.

That sent her a second wind on a long, difficult day.

"There's always a turning point and today it was on 12," Kono said. "I knew when that putt went in ... I knew that was it. I was happy. It's just a confidence thing. In golf, once you make one putt a lot of them start to drop. Not than many putts dropped after that but I got everything back together."

This was Kono's fifth attempt to qualify for the Open, her second sectional and her first breakthrough into the big time. Her goal now is to make the cut on the links-style oceanside course.

Her caddie will be coach Kevin Ralbovsky, who also caddied yesterday before leaving last night to loop for another student who made it to the Open — 15-year-old Tadd Fujikawa.

"People don't realize how much time and energy they sacrifice for golf, year-round, full-time," Ralbovsky said. "This is their reward. They spent a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to this level. It's nice to see that they can reap the benefits once in a while.

"This makes it all worth it."

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.