PO‘IPU — The Mixed team of Marissa Chow and Wenhao Luo, both of Honolulu, finished even par 72, Sunday to clinch the Hawai‘i State Junior Golf Association Mixed Team Championships at the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course.
The Chow-Luo pair, roared through the Po‘ipu Bay Golf Course with a 5-Under par 67, Saturday, the opening round and finished the two-day tournament with a combined 139.
“It’s going to get better, now,” Luo told Chow after breaking par on the third hole after chipping out of the dip on the rightside. “Saturday, we had trouble on the first two holes and it got better. This is the same.”
Chow, tee-ing off the women’s tees, smacked the ball to the far right behind the second berm, laying up short, but Luo smartly chipped the ball on the green for a nice Chow putt to save par.
“The golfers aren’t seeing the calm on the greens,” said Wayne Miyata, the course spotter for the tournament. “It’s really blowing at the tee boxes if you look at the trees and the golfers are laying everything left.”
Ciera Min of Hilo, Hawai‘i, teamed with John Oda of Honolulu to finish at 145 (71-74) for runner up honors.
The Kaua‘i pair of Daezsa Tomas of Lihu‘e and Kenji Miyata of Kapa‘a finished a stroke back (69-77-146) for third place honors, a stroke ahead of the team of Lisa Kang and Justin Chu (71-76-147).
Taylor Viquelia of Koloa teamed with Braeden Robley of Lihu‘e to
finish at a two-day 150 (71-79), Na‘ea Oda of Kapa‘a teamed with both Keegan Loo of Lihu‘e and Kainalu Gandia Kapa‘a, finishing at 159 (75-84) with Loo and at 173 (80-93) with Gandia.
“She’s going to be a tired little girl, tonight,” Na‘ea’s mother said while watching at the third hole when Loo’s tee shot went left, clonking off a tree, and Gandia’s tee shot went right. “She’s going to be walking a lot.”
Jamie Amimoto of Lihu‘e teamed with Annika Espino of Honolulu to finish at 170 (82-88).
The Mixed Team Championship consists of two-person teams including one boy and one girl from the 13-18 age division, states a release from the HSJGA.
First round play was Four-Ball Stroke Play with Sunday’s play being Foursome Stroke Play, the girls playing 6,023 yards and the boys playing 6,499 yards.
The Mixed Team Championship will help prepare Hawai‘i Team members to compete in a similar Ryder Cup format event being played against the top junior golfers from Japan during the fifth annual Asia Pacific Junior Cup, Nov. 17 through 20 at the Waikoloa Kings’ Course on the Big Island.
