Thursday, August 5, 1999
Umemura ends year
of frustrationAT&T is Meyer's fourth win of year
By Bill Kwon
Star-BulletinAnna Umemura hopes her game's back.
Winning the Hawaii State Women's Golf Association Stroke Play Championship at the Mid-Pacific Country Club yesterday could be just the confidence booster she needed.
"Exactly a year ago in the (HSWGA) stroke play was the start of my slump," said Umemura, who shot a final-round 75 for a 54-hole total of 224 and a two-stroke victory over last year's champion, Dawn Kaneshiro.
"I hope this year's win is a recovery from my slump," added Umemura, who'll play in next week's OCC Ladies Invitational before heading back to the University of Tennessee for her junior year. "So this win was huge for me."
Not that it was a given, especially after she four-putted the par-3 11th hole to lose the lead to Rachel Kyono, a Kauai High School junior who won't be 16 until October.
"For a while, it was just me and Rachel," said Umemura.
Actually, it was Kyono's tournament to win. She led Umemura by one stroke and Kaneshiro by two going into the par-4 17th.
But Kyono took a triple-bogey 7 after pulling her second shot into the left water hazard.
"I was too tense, I guess," said Kyono, playing her first major tournament. "It was a good learning experience."
Kyono finished third at 227. She was also third in the State Tournament, but this time it was against a lot faster company.
Kaneshiro, a 1998 University of Hawaii graduate, will be competing in the first stage of the LPGA Qualifying School later this month in Florida with Christel Tomori and Kristel Kakugawa.
Umemura bogeyed 17 after finding the left hazard and found herself tied with Kaneshiro with one hole left.
"I was surprised I was back in it," said Kaneshiro, who led after the first two rounds but found herself four shots behind Umemura after 11 holes yesterday.
Kaneshiro was longer off the 18th tee, but Umemura hit her second shot from 155 yards to within five feet of the pin.
Kaneshiro missed the green and flubbed her chip shot. When she missed a 10-footer for par, all Umemura needed was a two-putt to win. She birdied for the victory.
Frustrated by her play, Umemura went back to her old swing two weeks ago.
"It doesn't look as nice, but I needed to put the ball in the hole," Umemura said.
AT&T is Meyer’s
Star-Bulletin staff
fourth win of yearKOHALA, Hawaii -- Greg Meyer has won four and is going for more.
Meyer won the AT&T Aloha Section PGA Stroke Play Championship by three strokes with a 54-hole score of 214 at the Mauna Kea Golf Course yesterday.
It was the fourth victory for Meyer this year.
He shot a final-round 73 to turn back the challenges of Makena's Brian Sasada and defending champion Kevin Hayashi, who played in the same threesome.
Sasada finished second at 217 with the day's best round, a 1-under 71, while Hayashi placed third at 219 with a closing round of 73 as wind and tougher pin placements made par a good score.
"I just tried to play steady and not do anything crazy," said Meyer, who had a five-stroke lead going into the final round.
The victory was worth $2,600, a Delta Airlines round-trip ticket and $500 in AT&T certificates.
