ISLE FILE
Arnoult cruises in tennis opener
Advertiser Staff and Wire
Beth Arnoult made her Paralympic debut short and sweet Monday in Beijing, taking just 35 minutes to win her opening round match in wheelchair tennis. Arnoult, 42, from Pa'ia, Maui, swept Indonesia's Ida Yanni, 6-0, 6-0, and next plays sixth-ranked Marie-Annick Sevenans, from Belgium.
Arnoult is ranked 20th in singles. She is playing doubles with California's Kaitlyn Verfuerth, 23. They are ranked fourth and received a first-round bye.
This is Arnoult's final competition as she plans to retire after the Games. She participated in the Opening Ceremonies with 4,000 other international athletes.
GOLF
SUDDEN DEATH PLAYOFF
John Lynch (67-67) of GolfTec Honolulu and Ron Castillo Jr. (68-66) of Puakea Golf Course, will play a sudden death playoff this morning to decide the Aloha Section PGA Professional Champion.
Castillo opened with a 4-under-par 68 Monday at Princeville Golf Club's Makai Course and shot 66 yesterday. Lynch shot 67 both days and they are tied at 10-under 134.
After two rounds of the Stroke Play Championship, the section's third major, Lynch and Castillo share a five-stroke lead over Oahu Country Club's Andrew Feldmann (71-139) and KMR School of Golf's John Hearn (69-139) going into today's final round.
WIE IN Q-SCHOOL
Unable to earn her card through sponsor exemptions, Michelle Wie has entered the LPGA Tour qualifying school and will play the first stage next week.
The first stage will be at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage, Calif., site of the Kraft Nabisco Championship, with the top 30 players advancing to the LPGA Tour Qualifying Finals at Daytona Beach, Fla., in December. The top 20 players and ties at the finals earn their 2009 playing privileges.
SURFING
HAWAI'I TRIO ADVANCES
Bruce Irons of Kaua'i advanced through the second round of the Boost Mobile Pro yesterday in 3- to 5-foot waves at Lower Trestles, San Clemente, Calif.
Irons beat Aritz Aranburu of Basque Country, 16.34-11.77.
His older brother, Andy Irons, was upset in the second round by Australian wild-card entry Yadin Nicol. Andy Irons entered the contest ranked No. 7 in the world, but will likely drop after this contest.
Fellow Hawai'i surfers Fred Patacchia Jr. and Pancho Sullivan were also eliminated in the second round.
Bruce Irons, Sunny Garcia and Roy Powers are the Hawai'i surfers still remaining in the contest. Garcia is scheduled to face No. 1 Kelly Slater of Florida in the third round.
