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Wednesday, November 29, 2000

Pros top amateurs
for title

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By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

The outcome of the Gov. John A. Burns Challenge Cup was so decisive that even the losing amateur team didn't ask for a recount.

The pros won seven of the 12 singles matches and halved two others yesterday to beat the amateurs, 13 1/2 to 4 1/2, in the two-day competition at the rain-slicked Koolau Golf Club.

The pros won for the third straight year to take a 19-8-1 series lead in the annual golf challenge that began in 1973.

Brandan Kop, who has played in all but one Governor's Cup since 1980, defeated Jerry Mullen, 1-up, for one of three victories by the amateurs.

The other two were posted by Twenty-something Michael Ukauka and Joe Phensavath.

Ukauka, a third-generation player in the Governor's Cup, and Phensavath both won, 2 and 1, over Ed Tischler and Neil Simms, respectively.

Both Ukauka's father, Tommy, and grandfather, Jimmy, played in the annual tournament held in honor of the late governor of Hawaii.

The pros had taken a 5 1/2 to 1/2 lead after the bestball competition Monday before wet grounds canceled the alternate ball later in the day.

Needing only four points to win, the pros quickly turned it into a runaway as Regan Lee, Ivan Cunningham and Jay Shannon won the first three matches.

Shannon's 6 and 5 victory over Kendall Fukumoto was the most lopsided of the day.

"Pars will do it on this course," said Shannon, who won his individual match for the third straight year.

Kirk Nelson and Casey Nakama also won before the amateurs finally broke through with their victories.

Nakama beat Grant Yasui, a Pearl City High School senior and the youngest player in the field, 5 and 4.

Pros Brad Bowen and Jeff Ferry halved their matches with Norman-Ganin Asao and Del-Marc Fujita, respectively.

Fujita was down three with four holes to play before winning the 15th, 16th and 17th holes to pull even.

In the day's best display of sportsmanship, he called the match a draw even though Ferry lost his ball on the tee shot at the difficult par-4 finishing hole.

"It didn't make a difference. By then, we weren't going to win anyway," Fujita said.

Next year's Governor's Cup will be played Sept. 24-25 at Koolau, according to tournament official Francis Yamada.

"We're trying to get away from the bad weather," Yamada said.