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Friday, June 9, 2000

Manoa Cup semifinalists
all in their 20s

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

Call it the twenty-something Manoa Cup.

Today's four semifinalists are all in their 20s as four-time champion Brandan Kop was eliminated, 2 and 1, by Kendall Fukumoto yesterday at the Oahu Country Club.

Fukumoto, 23, will play Randy Shibuya, 25, a 1-up winner over Paul Loui.

The other semifinal pairs Norman-Ganin Asao, who'll be a junior at the University of Hawaii this fall, and Shannon Sibayan of Kauai, the "old man" at 26.

Asao advanced with a 5-and-4 victory over Adam Dornbush, while Sibayan ousted Marc Rosen, 4 and 2.

The historic Manoa Cup -- emblematic of the Hawaii State Amateur Championship -- is up for grabs.

But, for a while, neither Fukumoto nor Kop seemed to have wanted it as they waged a battle of survival with OCC's slick greens.

Down two, Kop won the eighth hole with a three-putt as Fukumoto four-putted the green from 25 feet above the hole.

Fukumoto went back up by two when Kop missed a 2-footer.

However, Kop got to within one again at the par-5 13th, winning despite a lagging three-putt as Fukumoto lost a ball.

Fukumoto's wheels continued to wobble as he bogeyed the 14th, squaring the match.

But it was Kop's turn to play giveaway as he three-putted for a bogey at the par-3 16th, blowing his first putt 10 feet by the hole.

Fukumoto's 3-wood tee shot reached the fringe at the downwind 349-yard 17th and he two-putted for a birdie.

"I really wanted to face him again and redeem myself," said Fukumoto, who lost to Kop in last year's quarterfinal by the same score.

"I couldn't get the stroke with my putter because of the fast greens," Kop said.

Fukumoto attributed his putting woes to the greens, which had gotten faster as the week went on. But he added, "It could have been nerves, too."

But he's ready to play all 36 holes if need be in today's semifinals.

Shibuya, also of UH, rallied to beat Loui, going 1-up with a 35-foot birdie putt at 16 and preserving that lead by chipping in from the fringe for par at 18.

"He came up with the shots when he needed to," Loui said.

Asao led 5-up at the turn against Dornbush before closing out their match at the par-4 14th.

The championship match, also 36 holes, will be played tomorrow instead of Sunday for the first time in the tournament's 92-year history.