She's only 13, but Cyd Okino is used to traveling and packing her own bags — one for her clothes and the other for her golf clubs.

She can't wait for her next trip.

"I'm very thrilled. I get to go back to Virginia," said Okino, another of Hawai'i's talented young golfers and its latest teen prodigy.

Okino received a sponsor's exemption to try to Monday-qualify for the Michelob Ultra Open at Kingsmill, Va., her first try at an LPGA Tour event, in mid-May.

If she qualifies, she'll miss a week of school. But it's an opportunity she can't turn down, according to Okino and her parents, Cyrus and Lori.

Why the special invite from the sponsors of the Michelob Ultra Open?

The answer goes back six years ago when Okino first played in the U.S. Kids Golf World Championship at Kingsmill. She impressed Jeff Winters, the head professional at the Golden Horseshoe of Colonial Williamsburg, so much that he kept in touch with Okino's parents over the years.

It also helped that Okino played in five U.S. Kids Golf events — she finished in the top 10 four times in her age division, including third place — in her final appearance last year at Pinehurst, N.C. The tournament is open to those up to 12 years of age.

From last year on, Winters put the bug into the ears of John Keuser, who heads the LPGA event, about Okino and why she would be an ideal choice because of the Kingsmill connection and also that it would provide good tournament publicity.

"At first, he was a little bit skeptical because of her age," Winters said in a telephone interview. "I told him, 'John, she's got quite a resume.' He was impressed."

There's no question that Okino has built up quite a resume.

She has already won two of the local women's majors — the 2005 Hawai'i State Women Golf Association Match Play Championship and the 2006 Prince Resorts Hawai'i State Women's Open — setting records as the youngest to do so. Okino erased Michelle Wie's record by two months when she won the latter event two weeks before her 13th birthday.

And Okino can't wait to add to her resume. Not only by trying to make it into several USGA events this summer, including the U.S. Women's Open, U.S. Women's Amateur and the U.S. Girls Junior Championship, but also when she finally gets to play high school golf in the fall.

"I can't wait," said Okino, an eighth-grader at Kaimuki Middle School. But she won't be playing for the Kaimuki Bulldogs.

Okino has applied to Punahou, Maryknoll and 'Iolani and won't know which Interscholastic League of Honolulu high school she'll be playing for until later this month.

In the interim, Okino is working hard on her short game, having played only one tournament so far this year — the Hawai'i Pearl Open in which she missed the cut with a 36-hole 159 total.

The 5-foot-5 youngster averages 245 yards off the tee and knows that the short game is the "main thing" for her right now.

She's also ready to pack her bags.

"It's a good opportunity. I think I have a good chance," Okino said about her qualifying in the Michelob Ultra Open.

As one of his "kids," golf instructor Casey Nakama is a little more cautious about her chances.

"Cyd's doing really good right now. But she's in kind of a limbo. She's a little too strong for the juniors but the LPGA women are good," Nakama said. "But if they're willing to fly all the way there and try, it's fine."

Cyrus Okino, who has spent more than $25,000 in travel for his daughter to play in just U.S. Kids Golf, said it's worth the investment. "If I didn't think she had a chance, I wouldn't do it," he said.

ALOHA, MARTY KEITER

One of the faces I'll miss most at the next Mercedes-Benz Championship will be Marty Keiter, Kapalua Resort's vice president of golf and tennis operations. Keiter resigned after 21 years at Kapalua and will move to Bozeman, Mont., with his wife, Gail, for a breath of fresh air.

"I'm looking forward to my first blizzard and a chance to wear some clothes for cold weather," Keiter said. "I had a good run at Kapalua. With the Village Course closing, I thought it would be a good time to leave."

Ever smiling and willing to do anything to make life easier for the working media, Marty will be sorely missed. But he has not closed the door of opportunity to return home, he said.