KAHUKU — Jesse Mueller transformed the new, improved and immense Turtle Bay Resort Hawai'i State Open into a Hawai'i Pearl Open sequel. The Arizona pro, who beat a field full of international pros by eight shots in February, completed his Hawai'i circle tour yesterday by winning the state championship by 10.

"I was in a good groove all week," said Mueller, who had but one bogey through three breezy rounds and took a four-shot lead into the final day. "I just tried to be patient today. I knew that if I shot 4- or 5-under, they'd have to shoot 8 (under) to tie. If I could just be patient, I'd be OK."

Mueller closed with an 8-under 64 at the Fazio Course, for a three-day total of 19-under 197. He put a close to the drama early with birdies on five of his first eight holes, draining three 20-foot-plus putts in the process.

Hawai'i's Dean Wilson, who turned 40 Thursday and played the PGA Tour the last five years, lost touch after birdieing the first hole.

"I had a good look on the next two holes and didn't get the putts to go in," said Wilson, who won this title two years ago. "Then he made a couple of putts and I looked up and he'd widened the gap."

Mueller, 26, won $7,500, to go with his $12,000 Pearl first prize. That's almost as much as he won all year on the Nationwide and Gateway tours.

The State Open is in the first year of a three-year agreement with Turtle Bay that allowed the field to expand to 252 and offer $45,000 in prize money.

Mueller's cushion was the largest winning margin since Cyd Okino captured her first women's title in 2006. Dean Prince won his seventh senior title by 11 in 2005, while Michelle Wie won the women by 13, at age 13, in 2002.

Champions Tour player Dave Eichelberger put some drama into this year's seniors when he closed with a 67 at the Palmer Course. Mäkena pro Kirk Nelson, who became a senior on his 50th birthday Monday, held an eight-shot lead going into the final round and came out two ahead of Eichelberger after shooting 74 — 10 more than his spectacular 64 Saturday.

"I hit my driver good the first day and putted good the second day," said Nelson, who won $3,500. "Today I didn't really do anything great except par the last couple holes."

His 64 was no aberration. Nelson still holds a share of the course record at Wailea Blue, set June 22, 2004 — "they gave me a plaque so I remember" — when he also shot 64.

The women created even more drama, when pros Katie Kempter and Xyra Suyetsugu chased down Okino — going for a record fourth straight women's title — to force a playoff. Kempter, who just earned her LPGA card, won with birdie on the second playoff hole for the $1,000 check.

'Iolani School graduate David Fink, a freshman on Oregon State's 16th-ranked team, finessed five straight birdies on his back nine into low amateur honors. Like Mueller, he sank a series of long putts in the streak and fired a 67 to grab a share of third overall with pros Samuel Cyr — a two-time NAIA champ from Maui — and Michael Feuerstein, who both shot 66.

Tadd Fujikawa (68—209) was sixth, another shot back.

The A Flight championships were nearly as one-sided as the Open. Justin Kurihara, 13, won the "Men's" flight by eight shots with 75—220. Iris Kawada, who is 12, won the "Women's" with 88—254.

NOTES

Tadd Fujikawa and Dean Wilson received sponsor's exemptions into the Sony Open in Hawai'i next month. Tony Finau, who represents Turtle Bay, will come back from Utah to try and Monday qualify.

Fujikawa is planning to play the eGolf Professional Tour (formerly Tar Heel Tour) beginning in February on the East Coast. Wilson still has some PGA Tour status and said the first event he knows he will play after Sony is the Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico in February.

Female pro Katie Futcher tied for 40th in the Men's Open Division at 75—222. Futcher shot her highest score at the easier Fazio Course.

Oahu Country Club head pro Andrew Feldmann shot 13 strokes better than Saturday, matching Jesse Mueller's 64 yesterday to move into a share of 16th.