Hawaii Beat

By Star-Bulletin Staff

Thursday, July 10, 1997

Favorites prevail
in Manoa Cup

Defending champion Damien Victorino of Kauai beat Steve MacDonald, 2 and 1, to advance to today's fourth round of the Hawaii State Amateur Match Play Golf Championship at the Oahu Country Club.

Also advancing in the event known as the Manoa Cup were Regan Lee, who lost in last year's final to Victorino, and two-time champion Brandan Kop. Lee beat Glenn Niitani, 3 and 2, while Kop led the lower-bracket winners with a victory by the same score over David Kang.

Joining Victorino and Lee in the upper bracket were Stan Souza, a 2 and 1 winner over John Nakano, and Ian Hunt, who eliminated Tony Okano, 2 and 1.

Larry Stubblefield ousted Marc Rosen, 6 and 5; Chuck Kozak beat Kenneth Nakano, 2 up, and Red Yoshimura turned back Buddy Tatum, 1 up on the 20th hole, to join Kop in the lower bracket.

The winners of today's quarterfinals meet in the 36-hole semifinals tomorrow with the final, also 36 holes, scheduled for Sunday.

UMEMURA QUALIFIES: At Hilton Head Island, S.C., Honolulu golfer Anna Umemura qualified yesterday for the finals of the age-group Tournament of Champions with a two-round total of 10-over-par 154.

In sharing 17th place with three other golfers, Umemura had rounds of 76 and 78 over the 5,965-yard Wexford Golf Club course.

Candie Kung of Fountain Valley, Calif., leads the division at 71-72-143.

Parker McLachlin, Hawaii's entry in the boys' division, failed to make the cut at 152 on rounds of 77 and 75.

Ryan Hybl of Hazlehurst, Ga., leads the boys' division at 139.

The tournament is conducted by the American Junior Golf Association.

NINE BOATS AFTER RECORD: The high speeds in the 39th Transpacific Yacht Race continued yesterday with nine boats now ahead of Merlin's 20-year-old record pace - including Merlin itself.

In addition, the two giant multihulls that started two days later were moving even faster in their bid to overtake the monohulls.

Although winds continued to blow from 18 to 22 knots the length of the 2,225-nautical mile course, no further breakdowns were reported after seven of the 38 starters dropped out previously.

Roy Disney's Pyewacket, sailing without the owner because of his broken leg, regained the lead among the fastest boats that started last Saturday by sailing 324 miles in the previous 24 hours - an average speed of 13.5 knots.

RAINBOW PEP RALLIES: The University of Hawaii athletic department will host pep rallies at the Pearlridge Phase I Center Saturday at noon, at Tamarind Park July 16 at noon and at Windward Mall July 19 at 11 a.m..

The UH band and cheerleaders will perform and free posters, schedule cards, T-shirts and other prizes will be given out.

LONG DRIVE QUALIFYING: The Maui Prince Golf Course will host a qualifying round for the 1997 RE/MAX Long Drive Championship, Saturday beginning at 3 p.m.

For a $30 fee, each competitor will get six balls to drive the farthest in either the Open division or Senior (45 and older) Division.

Up to five competitors will advance in each division to the District Qualification event. The national finals will be held in Mesquite, Nev., Oct. 21-25, with a total purse of $200,000.

For more information, call 539-3427.