Hawaii Beat
Star-Bulletin staff
|
Ueoka, Mizusawa top qualifiers
Lihue's Miki Ueoka and Hilo's Summer Mizusawa qualified for the 31st annual U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links Championship by shooting a pair of 76s yesterday at the Wailua Golf Course on Kauai.
The co-medalists will travel to Lexington, Ky., to play in this national USGA event that will be held from June 18-23. The first alternate is Honolulu's Cyd Okino, who finished one stroke back on the par-73 course with a 77. Lihue's Kelli Oride is the second alternate after shooting a 79.
Past winners of this major event include Hawaii's Michelle Wie. She was 13 when she captured the match-play title in 2003. Hilo's Kimberly Kim advanced to the final last year, before losing 6 and 5 to Tiffany Joh of San Diego.
Watanabe new Iolani coach
Lance Watanabe was named the new softball coach yesterday for Iolani, replacing Chris Shimabukuro.
Watanabe served as the hitting instructor the last four years for Shimabukuro and also served as the pitching coach this past season. As far as Shimabukuro is concerned, he's leaving the program in good hands.
Watanabe was the head varsity coach at Waianae from 1995 to 2003 before joining Iolani. He was named the OIA West coach of the year twice in 1996 and 1997. He has more than 20 years of coaching experience in softball and baseball.
Hapuna to donate to junior golf
Hapuna Golf Course at Mauna Kea Resort will donate $20,000 to Hawaii's junior golf programs, said general manager Ted McAneeley in a news release.
The funds will be disbursed to various groups, including Hawaii State Junior Golf, Big Island Junior Golf, Kohala High School, Honokaa High and the six-hole golf course at North Kohala's Kamehameha Park.
"We wanted to do this because Mauna Kea Resort is a big part of the Big Island Community," McAneeley said. "... There are a lot of future pros out there who just need an opportunity to play."