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Sports Watch
CONGRATULATIONS to Mary Bea Porter-King, nominated to be one of three new members of the USGA executive committee. Porter-King elated
about USGA postShe will be named officially early next year, but it's a rubber-stamp deal, according to a USGA official.
"I'm ecstatic, I'm very honored," said Porter-King, president of the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association. "I was totally surprised. It's a position I never entertained."
The executive committee makes final decisions on all USGA matters, including the rules of golf and the distribution of funds.
Porter-King, a former LPGA Tour member, is expected to be involved with the USGA's dealings with junior golf. She has been active with the Kauai junior golf program after moving to Kapaa in 1989 when she married businessman Charlie King, a fifth-generation islander.
"I married my caddy," said Mary Bea. King had caddied for her when she played in the 1987 Women's Kemper Open at Princeville.
She had one victory in her 15-year LPGA career. But her greatest claim to fame -- before the USGA appointment -- was saving the life of a 3-year-old boy during a tournament in Phoenix in 1988.
Mary Bea administered CPR to the youngster, who had been found unconscious in a swimming pool bordering the golf course.
She was invited to the Metropolitan Golf Writers Association to present a humanitarian award in her name at its annual dinner in New York. She has gone back every year to present the Mary Bea Porter Award.
"I'm proud of that award," said Porter-King, who can now be even prouder.
"She's a good person who has helped me a lot," said Rachel Kyono, the HSWGA stroke play champion and Kauai High senior.
Kyono, who signed a letter of intent to play at highly ranked Pepperdine, will join Erick Wong, another Kauai High junior golfer, in Monday's PGA Grand Slam of Golf pro-am at the Poipu Bay Resort.
She hopes to draw Sony Open champion Paul Azinger as her professional partner.
"I'm not much of a Tiger (Woods) fan," Kyono said.
THEIR FUTURE IS NOW: Hawaii's Nicole Horner Gardner and Summerset Lovett were among the 77 players who survived the 54-hole cut in the SBC Futures Tour qualifying tournament in Lakeland, Fla., yesterday.
Gardner, who now lives in Mesa, Ariz., was tied for 22nd place with a 224 -- 12 shots behind leader Joo Yeon Kim of South Korea -- while Lovett had a 54-hole total of 232.
Marie Miyashiro, also of Hawaii, missed Wednesday's 36-hole cut of 160 by four shots.
The top 36 players after today's final round will receive a priority-1 status for next year.
Christel Tomori, who won the Hawaii State Open championship three consecutive years, was the tournament's medalist last year.
She finished 20th on the money list to be exempt for the 2001 season along with Pam Kometani, who placed 10th in earnings while playing only eight events.
Tomori, who works at the Navy-Marine golf course, is looking forward to playing the Future Tour starting in March.
Before then, she plans to play in several tournaments in Asia. Tomori hopes that she can somehow get a sponsor's exemption to play in the two LPGA tournaments here in February -- the LPGA Takefuji Classic and the Cup Noodles Hawaiian Ladies Open.
As a non-LPGA member, Tomori can't try to qualify on Monday for the back-to-back events at the Kona Country Club and Kapolei Golf Course.
