Kaua‘i’s Jonathan Ota will be looking to add another championship to his resume when he tees off for the 45th Annual O‘ahu Country Club Men’s Invitational next week. The 2004 champ and 2005 Manoa Cup champion made it to the
Kaua‘i’s Jonathan Ota will be looking to add another championship to his resume when he tees off for the 45th Annual O‘ahu Country Club Men’s Invitational next week.
The 2004 champ and 2005 Manoa Cup champion made it to the finals of the 100th Manoa Cup earlier this year, where he faced Alex Ching, the defending champion at the OCC invitational.
At last year’s championship,
Ching was 11 under for the three-day event with rounds of 64-67-71 for a total of 202. The Punahou graduate just missed fellow Punahou standout Parker McLachlin’s tournament record of 201 by a single shot. A win from Ching would make him the third golfer ever to win the Manoa Cup and the men’s invitational in the same calendar year — Brandon Kop won both in 1998 and Kalua Makalena won in 1981.
Also included in the field is the father-and-son team from Lihu‘e, Stan and T.J. Kua.
This year’s field consists of 55 players in the Open division and 40 players in the Senior division (55 years or older). The cut will be made to the low 30 players and ties after 36 holes. The seniors will be contested over the first 36 holes.
George Yamamoto will be defending his Senior Championship. Last year Hamamoto had a 9 over par total of 151 to capture the Senior division for the fourth time. Included in this year’s Senior Division are Wendell Kop, a past champion in 1986 and 1989 and 2003 champion Mervin Matsumoto.
