Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Friday, May 28, 1999

GOLF WATCH

Need a golf alibi?
See the Gov

GOLF anyone? Me, I want the governor of Hawaii in my foursome when I'm going about my appointed rounds.

I've played golf with previous governors , George Ariyoshi and John Waihee. But I've never had the honor or pleasure of playing with Ben Cayetano. Apparently, I didn't know what I was missing.

I'm sure he can give me a putting tip or two, heaven knows I need it. But, mostly because I could sure use an excuse from him whenever I spend time on a golf course.

You've heard of a presidential pardon? Well, the governor can pardon the error of your ways, too.

It must be, because Cayetano wrote a letter to Circuit Judge Bambi Weil explaining why attorney Michael Green played golf the day after he was too stressed out to show up for a trial in her court.

"I noticed Michael was not feeling his usual outgoing self. Moreover, his play was terrible," Cayetano said.

Now, not everyone can get that kind of exclusive and empathetic support for having a bad day. That Green's my kind of guy. He even had a doctor's note for the judge to go along with the governor's pardon.

MAUI OPEN NO KA OI

I'm taking next week off to play in my favorite golf tournament, the Maui Open. It's a fun weekend of 54 holes because of a chance to play with several University of Hawaii coaches.

For a change, Rainbow men's basketball coach Riley Wallace will be giving me strokes. It'll give me a chance to get even for last year, when, in a moment of euphoria because his team defeated Kansas and Indiana, I waived his strokes.

New Rainbow head football coach June Jones, a 3-handicapper, is expected to play in the championship flight.

Casey Nakama, who beat Ron Castillo Jr. in a playoff last year, won't be defending his title because of a previous teaching commitment for the Oahu Junior Golf Association.

RAINBOW OPEN ALERT

Dean Wilson of Kaneohe, who's doing well on the Asian PGA Tour, will be back to defend his title in the Sports Shinko Rainbow Open, June 18-20, at the Mililani Golf Club.

Wilson, who posted a 54-hole score of 207 to win by five strokes last year, finished third in the Volvo China Open last week in Shanghai, third in another event in Seoul last month and 10th in the Kirin Open in Japan prior to that.

An alert to Wilson and nine other former champions in this year's field: the par-5 17th and par-4 18th holes (Nos. 8 and 9 in tournament play) now have OB stakes just right of the cart paths through the greens.

"That'll make it more challenging," said Jay Yasumiichi, Mililani's director of golf.

NYET UNTIL 2000

Golfers utilizing municipal golf course can relax - for now. The golf and cart fees won't be increased for this fiscal year as the City Council's budget committee decided to take no action.

The council had voted to send it back to the budget committee for further consideration. Upon further review, it was obvious that a 50 percent increase was simply too unpalatable. There would have been fewer players at the city courses, other than at Ala Wai, if the price hike had been approved.

KAUAI KAPERS

Changing the name of the Lagoons Course to Mokihana not only has helped to end some confusion at the Kauai Lagoons Golf Club, but it's in keeping with the floral symmetry with its sister course, Kiele.

Mokihana is the Garden Island's official flower and lei, while Kiele is Hawaiian for gardenia. Previously, calling it Lagoons confused it with a reference to the overall resort.