Chad Saladin teed offÊat the 15th hole ofÊthe Hawaii PrinceÊGolf Club during yesterday's final round.
Saladin cruises to title
Chad Saladin, a former Army infantryman turned professional golfer, notched his first win as a pro yesterday, cruising to an easy five-shot victory in the Hawaii State Open at the Hawaii Prince Golf Club in Ewa.
On a beautiful sunlit day that saw little wind, Saladin fired a bogey-free round of 69 for a three-day total of 9-under 207, good for a first-place check of $6,000.
In the process, the 29-year-old golfer turned back challengers Matt Kodama, the reigning Hawaii State Amateur champion, who finished at 71--212, and 1990 Hawaiian Open winner David Ishii, who placed third at 72--215.
"This was a huge win for me, especially from the standpoint of confidence," said Saladin, who plays the Gateway Tour in Arizona. "I feel I know how to win, and that's a huge hurdle when you're starting out and trying to work your way up the professional ranks."
Saladin is no stranger to island golf. While stationed at Schofield Barracks between 2000 and early 2004, he placed second in the 2003 Rainbow Open. That same year he won the All-Army and the Armed Forces championships before being released from the service last January.
Although it's harder to win at the professional level, Saladin made it look easy. He was tied for the lead after Friday's opening round and entered the final round with a three-shot advantage over Kodama and a five-shot lead over Ishii.
Ishii, despite placing third, was the only player to give Saladin a scare. The 49-year-old golfer, who splits his time between playing professionally in Japan and serving as the director of golf at the Pearl Country Club, recorded four birdies on the front nine but three-putted twice and was unable to make up ground on Saladin, who birdied both par-5s and turned in 34.
Ishii recorded another birdie at the par-4 11th, but at the par-3 12th he dumped his tee shot into a water hazard and made double bogey, ending any hope he might have had of catching Saladin.
"I was aiming left and trying to cut the ball," he said. "Instead, I hit it fat and pulled the shot into the water.
"This seems to be the way I play now. I make some good shots, and I make some poor ones. I can't hold the round together. I'm disappointed, but I'll continue to work on it."
Former PGA Tour pro Larry Stubblefield captured the senior division in this year's Hawaii State Open, carding a final round 76--219 to earn $2,500. Mike Iyoki placed second at 71--222, with Dean Prince finishing third at 73--223.
Lisa Chang captured first place and $1,000 in the women's professional division. Chang fired a final round 72--217. Meanwhile, John Lynch earned the Aloha Section PGA Player of the Year award with a 77--220 finish. Lynch edged out Brian Sasada of Maui, 79--223, to earn a spot in January's Sony Open in Hawaii at the Waialae Country Club.
