[ THE MANOA CUP ]
Adhering to tradition, Manoa Cup winner Ryan Perez was thrown into the pool at the Oahu Country Club by Kellen-Floyd Asao and others after Perez won the tournament yesterday.
Perez finally gets
his jacketThe Moanalua alum wins
the Manoa Cup
Phil Mickelson -- Ryan Perez knows how you feel.
The 18-year-old Moanalua High School graduate, who has been a bridesmaid in more golf tournaments than he cares to remember, finally broke into the winner's circle yesterday when he captured the coveted Manoa Cup at the Oahu Country Club.
Grinning widely after a resounding 5 and 4 victory over Shannon Tanoue in the 36-hole finals of the state amateur match play championship, Perez looked a lot like Mickelson after he had won this year's Masters, his first win in a major championship.
"This is my first win -- period," Perez said. "And it feels great. I finally got the monkey off my back."
Perez, who lost last month's state high school championship in a playoff, has had several close calls in recent amateur events. After his breakthrough win yesterday, he was rewarded with a green jacket of his own, as well as a ceremonial toss into the clubhouse pool.
"Ryan was due," said his coach, teaching pro Kevin Ralbovsky, who packed Perez's bag in the finals. "He's been in contention a lot recently, knocking on the door. Today it was his turn to win."
The road to victory was steep. During a week in which 30-mile-per-hour winds and stinging rains were an almost daily occurrence, Perez survived nine rounds of golf and turned back six opponents en route to claiming the Manoa Cup.
For Perez, his win couldn't have come at a better time. Next year he will begin his college career at the University of Hawaii, where he will join two other Manoa Cup champions -- 2003 winner Kellen-Floyd Asao and 2002 winner Travis Toyama -- on what should be a formidable team.
"That's three Manoa Cup champions in three years going to UH," said Perez, who has undoubtedly made golf coach Ron Miyashiro a happy man.
Ryan Perez celebrated with his mom, Pattie Perez, after beating Shannon Tanoue to win the Manoa Cup yesterday.
Perez dominated the afternoon portion of yesterday's 36-hole finals, but the morning 18 was a different story. Perez got off to a slow start, losing the first two holes to go 2-down before clawing his way back into contention.
All total, the two golfers halved only five holes during the morning 18. Perez, who was down almost the entire way, didn't pull even until the 15th, when Tanoue three-putted. Three holes later when he won the 18th, he had his first lead.
"When I won 18 to go 1-up, that's what set everything off," he said.
Perez never looked back. During the afternoon round, the effects of a long, grinding week seemed to catch up with Tanoue, whose short game began to falter.
The 25-year-old golfer lost the 21st when he three-putted and the 22nd when he failed to get up and down from the back left of the green. At the par-5 24th, he three-putted again to fall four behind.
"I tried my best," Tanoue said. "But I was leaking oil. I putted well all week, but today I had no confidence. And when you don't have confidence, it's hard, especially on these greens."
Perez gave Tanoue several opportunities to climb back in the match, but Tanoue could never take advantage of them.
At the par-4 26th, for example, after Perez pulled his approach into a water hazard, Tanoue came over the top on his swing and followed him into the drink. As a result, he ended up halving a hole he should have won. He then lost the 27th when he pulled his tee shot left under some trees.
At the 28th, Tanoue missed a short birdie putt when Perez gave him another opening, and at the 32nd he failed to make par from wedge distance after Perez left his approach short of the green. By that time he trailed by five holes with four to play and the match was over.
When asked what he learned from the week-long tournament, Tanoue said, "I learned I have to practice more and start training. I didn't have the endurance."
"Ryan was strong," he added. "He played well. He's going to be a great champion."
Perez, who goes by the nickname "Rhino," was born in North Carolina and moved to Hawaii in his early teens. He learned the game at the age of 10 from his father and his uncle Phil, both of whom were in his gallery yesterday. (Perez's father, who is in the Army, hails from Guam).
Perez gave a lot of the credit for his win to his coach, Ralbovsky, who runs a junior program at the Koolau Golf Club. Ralbovsky, who also coaches female standout Stephanie Kono (Tanoue's 14-year-old cousin), works five days a week with Perez.
"I think training at Koolau really helped Ryan prepare for this event because the terrain and the lies you have to deal with are very similar," Ralbovsky said. "Ryan is a very dedicated golfer. He worked hard for this win."
