The Fujikawa Factor

Tadd, a teen sensation, golfs his way TO fame at the Sony Open

he Sony Open in Hawaii has some strict noise rules for the audience, but they proved meaningless yesterday when 16-year-old Tadd Fujikawa walked off the 18th green as Hawaii's newly crowned golf sensation.

Professional players were still on the field concentrating when hundreds of fans mobbed the Moanalua High School sophomore, screaming, cheering and imploring for an autograph. Fujikawa capped a remarkable run at the prestigious tournament, shooting a 2-over-par 72 at the Waialae Country Club to finish tied for 20th among the pros.

"This is by far the biggest crowd I've ever seen," said an elated Fujikawa, who became on Friday the second-youngest player to make a PGA Tour cut, celebrating the feat with a fisted pump into the air.

"It's a good feeling having this many people backing for you and rooting for you," he said.

Wherever he went, Fujikawa enjoyed the largest gallery of the event, forcing spectators to tiptoe or climb to higher ground to capture a glimpse of his 5-foot-1-inch frame. Besides the company of his mother, Lori, and father, Derrick, Fujikawa was followed for five hot miles by die-hard golfers, weekend players, young hopefuls and curious onlookers who had never hit a golf ball but had to see the teen sensation in person.

"It's some story, isn't it? He has just a great attitude," said Mililani resident Mike Patterson, 41, who noted how Fujikawa excelled in the sport despite barely surviving birth after being delivered underweight and three months early.

Patterson brought along his father-in-law and 8-year-old son, Bradley, who finished runner-up in a recent menehune tournament put together by a golf clinic at Schofield Barracks.

While Fujikawa is currently without a coach, he got plenty of support from a sea of fans who often told him to "hang on" and "keep your focus" whenever his shots came up short or spun to the side. Playing alongside Jim Furyk, the world's second-ranked golfer, Fujikawa, an amateur, drew loud grunts of disappointment whenever things did not go his way.

Judging from the hoot that Randall Cayco let out after witnessing a powerful drive Fujikawa nailed on hole No. 4, he looked like a close friend. But Cayco, a senior at Moanalua High, only found out about Fujikawa this weekend, when the teen was all over the news.

"I just heard of him and wanted to come support," Cayco said.

By the time Fujikawa reached the middle of the course, the size of his gallery had swelled beyond sight, with throngs of people creating bottlenecks in narrow bridges and pathways. That caused Furyk to hit his No. 10 drive without his caddy, who got stuck behind.

Near the course's end, Ewa Beach resident Jack Crowther and his daughter, Meghan, stopped to watch another of Fujikawa's speedy shots.

"I think he's really good because he is a lot younger than most of the players. He's got a lot of promise," said Meghan Crowther. The 10-year-old, who plays golf for fun, placed witnessing Fujikawa's performance among the four "greatest events of her life." The other three?

"Britney Spears concert, Hillary Duff concert and going to Disney World," she replied.

And when it was all over, Vau Tobin, 29, was one of scores of fans who unsuccessfully tried to win an autograph from Fujikawa, who sped away in a golf cart toward the press room after signing numerous hats and shirts.

"I came down to see the local boy," said Tobin, holding two golf balls carrying Furyk's signature. "I'm trying to get Tadd's, but, you know, he's a little popular."