Travis Toyama followed through on his drive at the fifth hole during the final round yesterday at Oahu Country Club.
Toyama wins No. 2
Travis Toyama added an exclamation point to his second Manoa Cup championship yesterday at the Oahu Country Club, holing out his approach shot for an eagle on the 32rd hole to close out Hilo's Jacob Low, 5 and 4.
Toyama's spectacular shot -- a sand wedge from 60 yards out -- landed just short of the flag and then rolled into the cup, earning him his second Hawaii amateur match-play title in the last four years.
"I saved my best for last," said Toyama, who scorched the hilly Nuuanu layout with five birdies and an eagle in the afternoon portion of the 36-hole final.
"Jacob was in the trees and in trouble there at the end, so my caddie told me to just hit a good shot and we could end it. And sure enough, it stopped right in front of the hole and went in."
Toyama was 15 in 2002 when he became the youngest golfer to win the historic Manoa Cup. This year, at age 18, he was the "old man" among the four semifinalists, turning back 13-year-old Bradley Shigezawa in the 36-hole semifinals on Friday and the 17-year-old Low yesterday.
"I feel even more tired than I did the first time I won," said Toyama, who turned back six opponents in five days and played nine rounds of golf during the week, including an 18-hole qualifier last Monday. "This one was a little tougher because as an ex-champion everyone is coming after you."
If Toyama was tired, it was hard to tell. All day -- in fact, all week -- he sprinted up the hills of the Oahu Country Club, maintaining a pace that was almost as torrid as his golf.
"Every round, every hill I came across, I wanted to get to the top as fast as I could," he said. "That way I had time to rest and think about my next shot."
"It was pretty amazing watching him run up those hills," said Low, who was equally amazed by Toyama's iron shots and putting. "I really didn't play that bad. I was only 1 over par for the afternoon. Travis was just hot. I couldn't make him blink out there."
During both the morning and afternoon portions of the match, Low struggled on the front nine. In the morning, he turned in 41 and was three down, but fought back and was able to square the match at 18 when Toyama uncharacteristically putted off the green.
"I had a 7-footer for my second putt," he said. "But when I hit it a gust of wind came up and blew the ball off the green. All of sudden, I found myself chipping for bogey. I was a little frustrated blowing a 3-up lead, but I felt I could get it back if I played solid in the afternoon."
Travis Toyama earned a dip in the pool yesterday after winning his second Manoa Cup championship
His most important birdie came at the 240-yard, par-3 27th, where Low, who was 4-down, chipped in from off the front of the green for a deuce.
"I knew I had to make that chip," he said. "I figured if I made it I would be only 3-down and maybe I could make a run on the back nine. But then Travis drained his putt on top of me."
Toyama's putt, a curling 20-footer, spelled the end for Low, who was never able to mount a comeback the rest of the way in.
"It was a huge putt," admitted Toyama. "But to be honest it was a mistake. I didn't hit it on my intended line. I pushed it. I thought I had missed it until it caught the slope and started turning toward the hole. It was really key in stopping Jacob from gaining confidence and momentum."
Toyama prevented Low from taking the lead the entire day, a fact that was not lost on Low, who will enter the University of Hawaii at Hilo next fall.
"On this course, you never want to be down," he said. "I was never more than 1-down in any of my previous matches. Today, I was down the entire way."
Low could take consolation, however, in the fact that he finished second in his first Manoa Cup.
"Obviously, I'm not that happy because I didn't win," he said. "But second place among 99 who tried to qualify. That's not too bad."
For Toyama, who will be a sophomore at the University of Hawaii next fall, the win earned him his second green jacket, a ceremonial toss in the OCC pool and a gift certificate worth $750.
He also became only the 17th golfer in the tournament's 97-year history to win the coveted Cup more than once.
"To win the Manoa Cup even once is an amazing feat," said OCC President Modesto Gaborno at the awards ceremony. "To win it twice is a major accomplishment."
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