Joining Yamamoto, who grew up as a youngster playing the Wailua Golf Course every day during the summer, were Mike Pavao (146), Clayton Gomi (148), Del-Marc Fujita (148), Steve Yogi (151), Jay Kurisu (151) and Kalani Kiaaina (152).
The cut for the 64-player field was 153.
Kiaaina, a two-time Hawaii high school state champion now playing for Rice University, had to finish birdie-birdie for a 78 yesterday to avoid a 10-way playoff for the three remaining spots.
Taggart Ridings of Tulsa, Okla., a University of Arkansas senior, was the medalist at 136 with a bogey-free 66 yesterday.
Ridings almost got disqualified on Monday when he misread his starting time. He made it to the first tee with minutes to spare. Yesterday, Ridings made sure of his tee time by checking it carefully - twice.
But all 36-hole qualifying scores can now be tossed out. They're starting from scratch with the match-play format.
''It's a whole different game now,'' said Bill Camping of Phoenix, Ariz., who was the runner-up in last year's Publinx in Stow, Mass.
Camping shot a 71 yesterday to join Yamamoto at 141.
''I like match-play more than stroke play,'' said Pavao, the reigning WAC champion.
''It's easier. You only play one guy, not the whole field. Now I just hope we don't play each other until Thursday or Friday,'' he said, referring to the Hawaii qualifiers.
Pavao got his wish. No Hawaii players will bump heads today. But Pavao will meet Gomi tomorrow should they both advance.
Gomi hopes to improve on last year's showing in Massachusetts, where he qualified but lost in the second round.
''Winning the Rainbow (Open) gave me a lot of confidence,'' said the 34-year-old U.S. Department of Agriculture employee.
The par-72, 7,004-yard course continued to be a daunting challenge because of the brisk winds blowing right off the ocean.
Taggart had no problem with the wind - he played for it. At the par-3 17th, he aimed 30 yards left of the flagstick and found the right fringe for an easy par, two days in a row.
Chris Riley, who lost in the final to Yamamoto in 1994, started out yesterday with five straight birdies en route to a 31 on the front nine. But he shot a 40 coming in for a disappointing - for him - 71.
Yamamoto hit a 3-wood 255 yards to within two feet of the pin on the par-5 opening hole. He followed that eagle with a birdie 3 on the next hole.
"Three-under after two holes - that got me off and running,'' said Yamamoto, who hopes to redeem himself after missing the cut last year as the defending champion.
''Tomorrow's another day,'' Yamamoto said. ''In match-play, on any given day, any given guy can win. I hope to be the given guy.''
The tournament continues with two rounds tomorrow and 18-hole quarterfinal and semifinal matches Friday.
Saturday's championship final will be 36 holes, with the morning round scheduled to start at 7:30.
The 36-hole Harding Cup team competition was won yesterday with a score of 296 by the two-man team of Ryuji Imada of Japan and Puerto Rico's Ernie Villalobos, who represented Fairfield, Conn.