Kaua‘i team falters in Mayor’s Challenge Cup bid

The Kaua‘i team in the inaugural Mayor’s Challenge Cup dropped in its bid for the cup, 3-9 below the Honolulu team.

Playing at the Ala Wai Golf Course, Kaua‘i’s team effort was paced by Rand Becker who finished with a 36-hole total of 141, two strokes better than his Honolulu competitor Roger Tom.

Becker was playing against Tom in the Men’s Super Senior A division.

Following Becker, Kerry Oda netted a point for the lavender-shirted Kaua‘i team with a 36-hole total of 146 over his competitor’s 161 and the team’s second point. Oda, playing in the Men’s Open A division, bested Brian Killingsworth in that class.

Robert Hiraoka netted the third Kaua‘i point with a total of 147, six strokes ahead of Peter DeGuzman, his Honolulu counterpart in the Men’s Super Senior Division.

Art Fujita, playing against David Komori in the Men’s Open, fell by two strokes, finishing at a 146 to Komori’s 144.

Dennis Makiya finished just one stroke back of Honolulu’s George Salcedo Jr., Makiya carding a 152 36-hole total below Salcedo’s 151. That duo was competing in the Men’s Senior B class.

Charles Kawakami, playing in the Men’s Super Senior B division, came up two strokes short of Honolulu’s Richard Sonomura who finished with a 36-hole total of 145 over Kawakami’s 147.

Cindy Oda, going up against Honolulu’s Kathy Pickering in the Women’s A class, fell three strokes short after 36 holes. Pickering took the class with a 143 over Oda’s 146.

The inaugural golf event is funded by private sponsors and replaces and expands the defunct Mayor’s Cup, a release from event creator Kerry Komatsubara states.

“The purpose of the Mayor’s Challenge Cup is to give exposure to many local golfers who otherwise may not have the opportunity to compete in a team-play championship on a multi-county level,” Komatsubara said in the release.

The 2008 tournament will take place on Kaua‘i and both mayors hope the other counties will join in for the friendly competition.