[GOLF]
|
Hilo youth Hawaii women's golf welcomed another young champion yesterday as Kira-Ann Murashige, a 15-year-old Hilo High School sophomore, captured the coveted Jennie K. Invitational at the Mid-Pacific Country Club in Lanikai.
takes Jennie K.
Murashige, a 15-year-old
sophomore, tops her schoolmate
by 3 strokes for the prestigious titleBy Grady Timmons
Special to the Star-BulletinThe diminutive Murashige, who stands less than 5 feet tall, came up big in the final round, firing a 1-over-par 73 for a 9-over 225 and a three-shot victory over Amanda Wilson, another Hilo golfer who is a freshman at nearby Waiakea High School.
When Murashige hit her approach shot onto the front portion of the 18th green, she gave her caddie and uncle, Clayton Amuro, a high five before securing her par and the championship trophy.
"It feels good to win," Murashige said afterward. "I really didn't know how I stood until I saw the scoreboard at 18. I had heard that Amanda made the turn in 34 up ahead so I was still worried about her."
|
Wilson, who finished second in the recent state high school championship, carded the tournament's low round, a 1-under 71, but it wasn't enough to catch Murashige, who was so steady, she was never seriously challenged down the stretch."Kira-Ann was on top of her game today," said Amuro, who caddied for his niece during the final two rounds. "She was never in any trouble off the tee, and her course management and lag putting were excellent."
Second-round leader Stephanie Kono, a 12-year-old seventh grader at Punahou School and the sentimental favorite, had problems with her putting and could do no better than an 80. She finished in a tie for third at 231 with Moanalua's Ayumi Hori, who carded a 78.
State high school champion Leah Whiting (80) and former University of Hawaii golfer Desiree Ting (78) were two more shots back at 233.
This year's Jennie K. marked the 52nd anniversary of the event and the second year in a row that a teen or preteen has won. Eleven-year-old sensation Michelle Wie captured last year's tournament.
Wie, now 12, withdrew from this year's event to play in the LPGA Asahi Ryokuken Invitational in North Augusta, S.C., but her absence proved to be a boon for juniors like Murashige.
She began the day trailing Kono by a shot, with Whiting and Hori another shot back. But one by one, her competitors fell by the wayside.
Whiting struggled to a 39 on the front side before taking a double-bogey at 12 and following it with two more bogeys. Kono exited at about the same time, four-putting for a triple bogey at 12 and taking three more putts for a double bogey at 13. "I almost wanted to cry after the 12th hole," Kono said. "I think I could have won if I had putted better."
Hori also faltered down the stretch with consecutive bogeys at holes 13 through 16, which left only Wilson with a shot at catching Murashige. But Wilson, who had earlier rounds of 79-78, had too much ground to make up, despite a run of birdies at eight, nine and 10.
"I was hitting the ball close to the hole all day," she said. "I didn't make any mistakes. "If I had shot better the first two days, it could have been close."
Murashige, who plays out of Hilo Municipal and the Naniloa Country Club, took up golf at age 9, and at the 2000 Junior Worlds in San Diego she finished in a tie for fourth in the 13- to 14-year-old age division.
Despite her small size, she wallops her drives 230 to 250 yards and is a relaxed but gritty competitor. She learned the game from Naniloa pro Troy Tamira, and her golf coach last year at Hilo High was Kevin Hayashi, the Aloha Section PGA's top player.
"This is a major victory for Kira-Ann," said Amuro. "I really don't think she knows how big this win is. It will do wonders for her confidence. It's a huge steppingstone in her career."