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Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Friday, May 5, 2000

GOLF WATCH

Hawaii kids want
to be like Ishii

EVERY young golfer has a hero. But not every youngster, especially in Hawaii, goes around saying, "I'm Tiger Woods."

More often, impressionable young local golfers would rather be like David Ishii.

Ishii will be the first to tell you that he's hardly heroic, although he's the best golfer to come out of the local ranks since the late Ted Makalena.

But he's definitely a good role model.

Winner of the 1990 Hawaiian Open and currently ranked sixth on the all-time Japan PGA career money list, Ishii is certainly a hero because he sponsors the state high school golf championships.

The girls are playing their final round today at Princeville and the boys will hold their 36-hole tournament next week at Kauai Lagoons.

The setting is fitting because Ishii hails from the Garden Island.

This is the fourth year that Ishii has sponsored the event run by the Hawaii High School Athletic Association.

"It's not a big thing," said Ishii, although it's a big thing for the HHSAA, according to its executive director Keith Amemiya.

"It just so happened they had to go out and look for sponsors for the state tournaments," Ishii said.

"They needed help and it's a small way for me to do something to help golf."

Giving something back to golf has always been a David Ishii thing. In each of his three victories in the Johnny Bellinger Shoot-Out during the week of the Hawaiian Open, Ishii has donated his winnings to junior golf.

Ishii plans to continue to underwrite the state golf championships as long as he can.

Right now, it's an out-of-pocket expense amounting to a few thousand dollars each year.

However, he hopes to establish a David Ishii foundation to continue to sponsor state high school golf, which figures to increase in expenses because the boys and girls are holding separate tournaments for the first time this year.

Ishii will be on hand to present the championship trophies to the individual and team winners today.

But Ishii is sorry that he will have to miss the boys' tournament because of the Japan PGA championship next week in Narita.

The young golfers and their parents all make it a point of going up to Ishii and personally thanking him for his interest and financial support.

Ishii has more than a passing interest in the state golf tournaments, having won the individual title as a senior at Kauai High School in 1973 when it was held at Princeville and his home course, Wailua.

Among the players he beat out were Stan Souza of St. Louis, McKinley's Wendell Tom and Leilehua's Darrell Rego.

"I remember we just missed winning the team championship by a couple of strokes to Kahuku," Ishii recalled.

Ishii's teammates included his brother, John, Tommy Hines, James Yamamoto and Stan Shirai, whose father, Toyo, coached the team.

A MIND GAME:

The Hawaii State Women's Golf Association is sponsoring a mental training clinic for golfers of all levels May 22 at the Leilehua Golf Course.

The fee is $35 to HSWGA members and $45 for the general public. For more information, call Sally Harper at 589-2046.

GOLF SHOW ON TAP:

The sixth annual Aloha Section PGA Golf Show will be held June 9-11 at the Blaisdell Exhibition Hall.

Besides picking up tips from Aloha Section golf professionals, you can check out the latest equipment and apparel. Admission is $5.