Monday, July 13, 1998

Manoa Cup again
belongs to Kop

He cruises to his fourth
state match play title

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

Brandan Kop will do anything not to play the par-5 13th hole at the Oahu Country Club. It's uphill -- really uphill.

"Especially the last 30 yards. I didn't want to walk up 13 again," said Kop, who defeated Chad Burrows, 7 and 6, yesterday for the Manoa Cup championship.

Kop closed out their match on No. 12 -- the 30th hole of the day -- with a halving par. He also won his semifinal Friday at the par-4 12th, beating Tony Okano by the same score.

The 37-year-old Kop is making the Hawaii State Amateur Match Play Championship at his home course his private domain.

While you can't yet call it the Manoa "Kop," his name is stamped all over the trophy. He won it for the second consecutive year and fourth time overall.

This one was particularly special, according to Kop.

"It's kind of like a 50th anniversary. My father was in the finals 50 years ago," he said. Kop's dad, Danny, lost in the 1948 final to Arthur Armstrong.

"And he caddied for me in all four of my victories," added Kop, who first won the Manoa Cup in 1983 when he played for the University of Hawaii. He won again in 1986 before going back-to-back this year and last.

"The Manoa Cup's the hardest amateur (championship) to win," Kop said. But one couldn't tell it by his easy victories in this year's semifinal and final. "Every year it's getting harder because you're getting older. And there's more pressure because people expect you to win."

Still, Kop is eyeing the achievement of Ken Miyaoka, who has won the Manoa Cup six times.

"It'd be nice to match that," Kop said. "That's my goal because it's always good to have goals."

As for the tournament record of nine victories by Francis I'i Brown, Kop added, "That one is unrealistic."

Burrows had never got past the second round of match play in two other attempts in the state's oldest golf tournament, which began in 1907.

"He was knocking in everything. That kind of wore me down mentally," Burrows said of Kop's putting. "I tried not to watch, but I couldn't help it."

"I only missed two putts under 10 feet today," Kop said. "Friday I missed only one putt under 10 feet. That's hard on an opponent."

Kop uses a 3-pronged Stx putter with a rubberized face, which he calls "Ariyoshi" after former Gov. George Ariyoshi.

"You know," Kop said, "quiet but effective," which was Ariyoshi's campaign slogan.

It certainly proved effective in quieting Kop's opponents.

Kop led, 2-up, after the morning 18 in yesterday's final. He then won the first two holes in the afternoon round, and went 5-up with a brilliant pitch for a gimmie birdie at the par-5 sixth hole, or the 24th of the day.

He also won 10 and 11, the latter with a bunker save, to go up by seven, and a great two-putt par from above the hole at 12 closed out the match.

The 7 and 6 victory was the most one-sided final since Greg Meyer defeated Larry Stubblefield, 10 and 9, in 1982.

"Overall, I was happy where I was -- in the final," Burrows said.

As for Kop, he'll be back to try for a three-peat next year, trying not to play No. 13 twice a day if he can help it.