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Don’t forget Is Grant Yasui playing his best golf right now? Probably not.
about Yasui
The former OIA champ
hopes a refocused mental game
gets him a state titleBy Jason Kaneshiro
jkaneshiro@starbulletin.comShould the rest of Oahu Interscholastic Association start looking past the Pearl City senior in the race for the league championship? Definitely not.
Yasui, the defending OIA boys golf champion, entered this week's play with an average of 77.75 in OIA West play, good for third in the division, and figures to be a major contender again once the postseason tournaments roll around.
"I've been struggling with these OIA tournaments, but it should help me in the future," Yasui said. "But it's coming around a lot."
It wasn't long ago that Yasui was the bright new star in the OIA golf scene. He posted an average of 72 and was named the OIA's player of the year as a freshman, just two years after he started playing the game seriously.
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Yasui was an all-star again as a sophomore and finished fifth in the state championships. He also helped the Chargers win OIA team championships his first two years.Last year he won the OIA individual championship with a round of 71 at Makaha Golf Course and went on to place fourth in the state tournament.
This season, Yasui is looking over his shoulder a bit more as a member of a group of golfers trading places atop the weekly division tournaments. Mililani's Bronson Kalilikane led the division at the halfway point with an average of 75, with Waianae's Earl Medeiros in second at 77 and Yasui just behind in third. Medeiros placed first in Monday's OIA West tournament with a 1 under-par-70 at Makaha Golf Course.
"It's good competition and we have a lot of fun out there, too," Yasui said.
Yasui began playing golf six years ago by tagging along to the course with his father, John. He soon started playing in junior tournaments and had made a name for himself on the local circuit by the time he reached high school.
"I had already heard about Grant before I even took over the team," Pearl City coach Ray Shimabuku said. "But I didn't expect him to be that good, not with a 72 (as a freshman)."
After devoting most of his free time to improving his game early in high school, Yasui took a break entering his senior season. Upon returning to the practice range he has worked with personal coach Beau Yokomoto to refine his game.
"He took some time off from the game, so now it's getting him back on track as far as his swing plane and the fundamentals," Yokomoto said.
Yasui said he is altering his swing this season, making it more compact to help develop more consistency in his ball striking. And while he adjusts to the new swing, he said his short game has helped bail him out of bad situations.
Working his way through the rough spots in his mental game is also an area Yasui and Yokomoto are working on. Yasui admitted to dwelling over bad shots or bad holes, leading to higher scores at the end of the round.
Last year's David Ishii Foundation State Golf Championship at the Kapalua Village Course on Maui serves as an example. Yasui took the lead by shooting 3 under-par early in the 36-hole event. But a triple-bogey brought him back to the pack and he struggled to recover his focus the remainder of the round.
"On one bad hole I just lost my mind," Yasui said. "Now I've learned after a bad hole to keep my head in there to give myself a chance."
Yasui carded a total of 146 and finished fourth behind Waiakea's Jarrett Hamamoto and Gabriel Wilson and Leilehua's Nick Mason.
"Everyone can play good when things are going well," Yokomoto said. "It's learning to post a decent round when you're not playing your best."
Yasui hopes the lessons he learns as a senior will earn him a college scholarship. He is scheduled to take a recruiting trip to New Mexico State during spring break.
He is also shooting for a third OIA team championship this season. Pearl City was tied with Aiea and Leilehua atop the OIA West standings entering the week at 4-0.
In addition to Yasui, the Chargers are led by sophomore Barry Amorin, who is fourth in the division with an average of 78. Juniors Brandon Abreu and Phillip Rathbun and freshman Sean Abreu provide Pearl City with one of the league's deepest lineups.
Even away from the course, golf isn't far from Yasui's mind. He often hangs out with some of the top Interscholastic League of Honolulu players, like Iolani's Matthew Ma, Kamehameha's Eric Fong and Mid-Pacific's Troy Higashiyama.
Despite the myriad senior-year activities demanding more of his attention, Yasui is still focused on defending his league title. But whatever the outcome this season, Yasui's storied high school career may be just a prelude for achievements to come.
"There's no ceiling on how good he can be," Yokomoto said. "It's up to him to take the ball and see how far he wants to run with it."
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