Travis Toyama laughed after a rough tee shot during his semifinal match yesterday, but he went on to a 2-and-1 victory over Bradley Shigezawa.
Low, Toyama
in Cup final
Teens make run for state’s top
amateur match-play title
Jacob Low had never played at Oahu Country Club before entering the Manoa Cup, but he knew enough about the hilly layout in Nuuanu to include some running in his preparation for this week's tournament.
97th Manoa CupWho: Travis Toyama vs. Jacob LowWhen: Today, 7 a.m. Where: Oahu Country Club Format: 36-hole match for the state amateur match-play championship Final facts: The Manoa Cup is the longest-running tournament in Hawaii and the fourth-oldest in the nation, trailing the U.S. Open, U.S. Amateur and Western Open. ... Toyama, 18, recently completed his freshman year at UH. Low, 17, will join the UH-Hilo golf team next season. ... Toyama won the tournament in 2002.
|
"I'm really tired right now, but I'll be ready for tomorrow," Low said after defeating Kurt Nino 5 and 3 in a semifinal match yesterday.
Low and Toyama tee off for their first tour around the OCC course today at 7 a.m. They are expected to start their second 18 holes 4 hours later.
Toyama, 18, earned a shot at winning his second state amateur match-play championship by halting 13-year-old Bradley Shigezawa's bid to become the youngest winner in the tournament's history with a 2-and-1 victory.
Shigezawa, an incoming eighth-grader at Punahou, made an impressive run to reach the semifinals in his second Manoa Cup appearance but couldn't quite catch Toyama.
"I really enjoyed the competition and Travis played excellent today," Shigezawa said. "He was just too steady and too consistent."
Jacob Low won three consecutive holes to end his match against Kurt Nino yesterday.
Low was 5-up after a soggy morning round and maintained a comfortable lead most of the second 18 holes. But a birdie by Nino on No. 11 followed by two bogeys by Low cut the margin to 2-up.
Low then gathered himself in time to win three consecutive holes and ended the match by sinking a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 15.
"I think fatigue was kind of kicking in on the back nine," he said. "Once he got it to 2-up I wasn't feeling real good, so I had to really calm myself down and that seemed to work."
Toyama was 1-up after 18 holes and eventually pushed the lead to three with a birdie on the fifth hole.
He gave a hole back when his par putt lipped out on the par-3 seventh, and saw his lead trimmed to one with a bogey on No. 10.
Shigezawa, who started swinging a club at age 2, had opportunities to tie the match on the next two holes but couldn't get putts to drop.
Toyama then took control on the par-5 13th hole by rolling in a 20-foot birdie putt to go 2-up with five to play.
"The thing that helped was I had the same putt in the morning," Toyama said. "I was almost in an identical spot. It was just a matter of stroking my putt right on the same line again."
Shigezawa nearly made a momentum-turning putt of his own on No. 16. It appeared his 40-foot birdie attempt would crawl into the hole, but the ball turned to the left just in front of the cup and he settled for par.
Toyama then sealed the win on the next hole with another par.
"He was well-composed and he hit good shots and made me step up my game a little bit," Toyama said. "I was just trying to tie him for every hole, make pars, and put pressure on him with birdies."
Toyama, an incoming sophomore at Hawaii, won the Manoa Cup as a 15-year-old in 2002. He made sure his record as the youngest champion will stand another year with his win yesterday.
Toyama is confident Shigezawa will make another run at the title down the road, but would like to see his mark survive a little longer.
"His time will come," Toyama said. "I'm just hoping it's when he's 16."
E-mail to Sports Desk
[News] [Business] [Features] [Sports] [Editorial] [Do It Electric!]
[Classified Ads] [Search] [Subscribe] [Info] [Letter to Editor]
[Feedback]
