Wednesday, June 6, 2001
[MANOA CUP GOLF]
Molina can A drywall contractor from Makawao was all wet at Oahu Country Club yesterday, along with the rest of the Manoa Cup field. But Eric Molina had reason to smile through the torrents whipping down from the Nuuanu cliffs.
stand the rain
Despite a drenching at Nuuanu,
the golf veteran shinesBy Dave Reardon
Star-BulletinIt turned out to be his brightest day in nearly 30 years of golfing.
Molina achieved one of two major upsets in the first round of the state amateur match play championship. He beat former national champion and two-time Manoa Cup winner Guy Yamamoto, 4-and-2. Molina appeared to be on his way to a second-round victory, as he was 2-up on Kuakapu Hewett after 10 holes when play was suspended.
Intermittent rain in the morning became a steady downpour in the afternoon. The second round was to be completed beginning at 8 a.m. today, with the round of 16 to follow.
"We were hoping to finish up today," Molina said. "But the greens and fairways were puddling."
Hewett, 20, playing the hilly -- and on this day, soaked -- OCC course for only the second time, had earlier defeated four-time Manoa Cup winner Brandan Kop, 2-and-1.
"I hit the ball really well," said Kop, an annual contender since the early 1980s. "For a string of five holes I was within 8 feet for every putt. But 3-putting the 13th hole killed me. That was the match."
Hewett made a 15-footer for par on the hole, turning the tide.
"I was very nervous," said Hewett, a 1998 graduate of Redemption Academy who didn't play high school golf. "I didn't expect to even come close to keeping up with him. But I just stuck to my game. Win or lose, I was just happy to have a chance to play against a champion like Brandan."Molina, though, didn't look forward to tangling with Yamamoto, the 1994 national amateur match-play champion who played in the Masters.
"When I saw who I got matched with after qualifying, I considered flying home to Maui," Molina, 42, said. "I guess I'll stay around another night now."
Molina, who made it to the Manoa Cup round of 16 two years ago, jumped to a two-hole lead on Yamamoto with birdies on the 10th and 12th holes (they started on the back nine). He was never in serious danger of losing the lead.
"(Yamamoto) wasn't on top of his game today," said Molina, who was 1-under par when the match ended after 16 holes. "My driver was really good today. I hit every fairway right in the middle, and my putting was decent.
"Before today, winning the 1977 state high school championship with Maui High was about all I've done in golf," said Molina, who also won the Maui 1984 amateur champion.
Said Yamamoto: "I didn't play as well as I had hoped, but Eric also earned it. Once I got behind, it was hard to catch up.''
Defending Manoa Cup champion Randy Shibuya fended off a strong challenge from Nate Powell.
With four holes to go, Powell was up-3. But Shibuya hit wedges to within a foot of the hole on both the 15th and 17th holes for birdies, and parred the 16th, which Powell bogeyed. Both parred the 18th.
"(Powell) played well and I felt some pressure this year being the defending champion," Shibuya said. "Last year nothing was expected of me, so I just relaxed."
Troy Higashiyama led Shibuya by two holes when second-round play was suspended.
"I spent a year at (the University of Hawaii-Hilo), so I've played in weather like this," said Shibuya, a UH-Manoa alumnus. "But never at OCC. I was ready to pick it up."
Doug Williams dispatched the most intriguing qualifier, 11-year-old Michelle Wie, with a 3-and-2 first-round victory.
Wie, the first female and the youngest player to qualify for the 94-year-old Manoa Cup, qualified for the field of 64 with a round of 5-over-par from the men's tees.
At Oahu Country Club Manoa Cup
Yesterday's resultsMatch play
Randy Shibuya (54) def. Nate Powell (80), 1 up; Troy Higashiyama (77) def. Neal Iverson (77), 1 up;
Blaine Kimura (78) def. Sam Oishi (74), 4 and 2; Paul Kimura (78) def. Kala'e Leong (74), 1 up 19th;
Colin Ginoza (73) def. Brent Davan (80), 2 and 1; Gary Kong (76) def. Eddie Fox (77), 2 and 1;
Toby Martyn (80) def. Spencer Shishido (73), 2 up; Christopher Caycayon (76) def. Tom Goodbody (78), 3 and 1;
Carl Ho (70) def. Duane Pacheco (80), 8 and 7; Phillip Anamizu (77) def. Steve MacDonald (76), 2 and 1;
Kellen-Floyd Asao (74) def. Art Fujita (79), 7 and 6; Garrett Okamura (75) def. Edson Nakanishi (78), 2 and 1;
Tommy Kim (71) def. Marc Rosen (80), 4 and 2; Duane Pavao (77) def. Sean Doi (76), 5 and 3;
Eric Fong (74) def. Pomaikai Shishido (79), 2 up; John Bascuk (78) def. Ron Haranda (75), 3 and 1;
Joe Phengsavath (67) def. Gerald Isobe (74) 5 and 4; Ralph Dewitt (77) def. Fred Hanamoto (77), 2 up;
Nick Mason (74) def. Ryan Nakata (78), by default; Travis Toyama (74) def. Ross Nakamura (78), 2 up;
Kuakapu Hewett (80) def. Brandan Kop (72), 2 and 1; Eric Molina (77) def. Guy Yamamoto (76), 4 and 2;
Ryan Koshi (73) def. Damien Victorino Jr. (79), 2 up; Jeff Weinstein (78) def. Grant Yasui (75), 3 and 2;
Nathan Suzuki (80) def. Chris Souza (67), 3 and 2; Don Look (76) def. Tyler Isono (77), 1 up 19th;
Christian Akau (74) def. Steven Nguyen (78), 2 and 1; Norman-Ganin Asao (78) def. Kimo Greene (75), 3 and 2;
Raymond Tendo (72) def. Eiichi Matsumoto (80), 5 and 4; Doug Williams (77) def. Michelle Wie (76), 3 and 2;
Ross Mitsutani (74) def. Shannon Sibayan (79), 2 and 1; Jonathan Ota (75) def. David Hamada (78), 8 and 6.