By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Kiyoshi Murota blasts from a bunker at the Pearl Open.

The birdie by Murota at the 519-yard, par-5 17th hole gave him the $12,000 top prize over Pearl C.C. pro Greg Meyer, who parred the hole after shooting a 67 to finish at 3-under-par 213 and force a three-way playoff.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
Kiyoshi Murota celebrates payday.

Speaking through an interpreter, Murota said he played "the long holes (par-5s) very well" to offset four bogeys for his 72 yesterday.

He eagled the 559-yard, par-5 first hole and also birdied the par-5 fifth and 12th holes. He parred the 17th, but made up for it the second time around with a birdie in the playoff.

Murota two-putted just off the green from 60 feet for his winning birdie.

Meyer had pushed his drive to the right along the coconut tree line on the hole and had a bad lie for his second shot.

By George F. Lee, Star-Bulletin
David Ishii strolls on his home turf.
Ishii finished in fifth place.

Even though the Pearl Open is sort of a tune-up for the United Airlines Hawaiian Open qualifying today at the same site, Murota will pass up the opportunity. He'll be going to the Big Island on business.

Meyer is already in the Hawaiian open this week at the Waialae Country Club, as an Aloha Section PGA qualifier.

Masao Nakajima, a 17-old-year-old high school junior and son of Japanese pro Tommy Nakajima, took low-amateur honors with a 69-218 after a one-hole playoff with Tatsuhiko Ichihara, also of Japan.

At Pearl Country Club
Final round, leaders, par 72

Kiyoshi Murota 68-73-72--213*
Gregory Meyer 76-70-67--213
Hiroyuki Fujita 73-71-69--213
Masayuki Okano 73-72-69--214
David Ishii 70-74-71--215
Bill Brask 74-72-70--216
Todd Fisher 73-74-69--216
Kevin Hayashi 73-74-69--216
Keith Kollmeyer 72-70-74--216
Tomohiro Maruyama 70-73-73--216
Shinichi Akiba 72-73-72--217
Barry Conser 72-74-71--217
Mark Kochan 77-72-68--217
Harold Perry 72-73-72--217
Mark Takahama 70-73-74--217
Yuichi Takano 72-73-72--217
Taijiro Tanaka 73-73-71--217
Ken Tanigawa 77-69-71--217
Hikaru Emoto 72-73-73--218
a-Tatsuhiko Ichihara 77-72-69--218
Toshiaki Kato 68-77-73--218
Ken Kusumoto 73-72-73--218
Katsumasa Miyamoto 74-71-73--218
a-Masao Nakajima 72-77-69--218
Daniel Nishimoto 71-70-77--218
Yasumichi Takei 75-75-68--218
Shinichi Yokota 74-73-71--218
Masaru Amano 72-78-69--219
Tsutomo Horiuchi 76-73-70--219
Masami Itoh 75-73-71--219
Shingo Katayama 74-75-70--219
Randol Mitchell 72-78-69--219
Casey Nakama 73-74-72--219
Milan Swilor 73-73-73--219
Will Yanagisawa 73-72-74--219
Jim Blair 73-76-71--220
a-Soon-Bok Kwan 74-76-71--221
Reynold Lee 72-78-70--220
Dean Prince 74-71-75--220
Taku Sugaya 70-78-72--220
Minoru Hatsumi 73-74-74--221
x-Eisaku Hayashi 77-71-73--221
Toru Kihara 74-72-75--221
Hisashi Nagatake 76-74-71--221
Mike Pavao 72-76-73--221
a-Nobuhiro Sawada 77-71-73--221
Steve Schneiter 76-74-71--221
Hidemichi Tanaka 73-77-71--221
Koichi Uehara 70-76-75--221
Masahiko Akazawa 76-74-72--222
a-Damien Jamila 73-77-72--222
Akihiro Kashimada 73-71-78--222
Jerry Mullen 74-74-74--222
Tsuneyuki Naka 71-75-76--222
Nagato Ohba 73-77-72--222
Hisayuki Sasaki 73-75-74--222
James Sieckman 77-72-73--222
Lance Suzuki 73-71-78--222
Kim Thompson 74-75-73--222
Jeff Thomsen 72-74-76--222
a-Guy Yamamoto 76-72-74--222
George Yokoi 74-76-72--222
Chuck Davis 72-76-75--223
Hitoshi Kato 75-75-73--223
Hatsuo Nakane 78-72-73--223
Takuya Ogawa 71-75-77--223
Satoshi Sudoh 72-79-72--223
Yoshihito Murayama 74-77-73--224
Toyotake Nakao 76-75-73--224
Brian Sasada 74-73-77--224
Craig Sasada 74-74-76--224
Mitsuhiro Tateyama 73-73-78--224
Takuhito Nishino 75-75-75--225

* Won sudden death playoff
a - Denotes amateur