Pearl of a win for Tadd

Fujikawa, Hawaii's latest golf sensation, comes from three strokes back to win the Pearl Open

Hawaii golf circuit veteran Greg Meyer decided to give 16-year-old golf phenom Tadd Fujikawa a word of advice following their tight finish at the 29th Hawaii Pearl Open yesterday.

"Stay an amateur as long as you can," joked the 45-year-old moments after he sheepishly received a first-place check of $12,000 as the runner-up of the tournament.

The 5-foot-1 Fujikawa hoisted -- or hid behind, depending on one's point of view -- two championship trophies at Pearl Country Club's 18th hole after he stuck a 90-foot chip shot to within 10 inches of the cup for the birdie that edged Meyer by a stroke.

Being an amateur, the Moanalua sophomore had to defer the prize money to the second-place finisher. But besides the Hilo native and four-time Pearl champion Meyer, Fujikawa clearly outplayed the rest of the professional field -- and might have widened the gap if not for some missed opportunities after the turn.

He finished with an 11-under 205 for the 54-hole tournament after his 4-under 68 yesterday.

Fujikawa received a mammoth trophy for the overall championship, and a second, slightly more proportional version for being the top amateur at the event.

Judging by his play, the distinction is purely cosmetic at this point. Fresh off his impressive showing at the Sony Open in January, Fujikawa became just the second amateur to win the Pearl Open and 19th winner of the event overall.

Meyer finished at 10 under, and Yoshinobu Tsukada and Azuma Yano of Japan finished in a tie for third at 8 under. Four other players from Japan finished tied at minus 7.

A gallery of about 200 applauded Fujikawa's spectacular finish with playing partners Sean Maekawa and Japan's Hiroyuki Naito.

Fujikawa thanked Pearl Country Club for the tournament and for allowing him to practice there on a regular basis.

He explained that the spectacular run through the Sony -- in which he finished in a tie for 20th amidst a firestorm of media attention -- helped him attune to the experience of having an entourage following his every swing.

"It's really hard with the cameras all around, really hard to keep your focus, and I think at Sony it was a good experience for me to see what it's like while you're under the gun and stuff," Fujikawa said. "It kind of got easier (today). It's really tiring, but I enjoy it."

Junpei Takayama of Japan led the field by two strokes entering the day at 10 under. But the 23-year-old quickly self-destructed with a 7-over 79 to fall out of contention.

That opened the door for Fujikawa, hovering at three shots back. He seized his opportunity by taking over the lead on the seventh hole and went to the ninth at 9-under.

Fujikawa's approach shots were consistently good -- he put himself in a position to birdie each of the ninth through 12th holes -- but couldn't convert any of them, with balls that rolled an inch short, a few inches wide, and a putt that lipped over the hole.

Unknown to Fujikawa, Meyer, playing two groups ahead, birdied the 12th, 14th and 15th holes to move into the lead.

In what turned out to be a crucial putt, Fujikawa saved par on the difficult par-3, 194-yard 13th hole after he shortchanged himself on a chip shot to the green. He needed to sink a putt from about 8 feet to keep his par streak alive, and when he came through his loyal gallery whistled in approval.

He credited improved shot versatility -- being able to recover from potentially disastrous situations -- to his success so far this year.

"I think that par putt on 13 was really important, and you know although I did miss my birdie putts on 12 and 11, it still kept my momentum going," he said.

Fujikawa parred Nos. 14 and 15, and birdied No. 16 from 3 feet away to pull even with Meyer. That's when somebody told him the score.

He had three eagles entering the day, and appeared to have a golden chance at a fourth on the par-5 17th. He blasted his tee shot and arrived on the green in two strokes. Knowing an eagle would all but seal victory, he became "excited" and his putt from 10 feet away went 3 feet long. He missed on the return putt as well, and smacked his putter in frustration when he was forced to settle for par.

"It was a huge chance for me to pretty much secure the win and I went for it, and I didn't hit a very good second putt coming back," Fujikawa said. "That's golf. You need to just take it as it comes and hit a better shot on the next hole."

Once Fujikawa stopped worrying about winning, he was able to claim victory.

He showed resiliency with a near-flawless lob on his second shot on the par-4 18th, drawing a resounding cheer from the gallery awaiting him there.

Fujikawa patiently waited for Naito and Maekawa to putt out, then calmly sank the point-blank shot and -- in what has become a trademark -- pumped his fist in victory.

Tadd's father, Derrick, was "ecstatic" and knew his son would redeem himself.

"I always tell my wife (Lori), 'It's justice,' " said the elder Fujikawa. "He misses some and he makes some. This last hole was unbelievable. He should have done it at 17, but he three-putted. It's justice, that's why he put it so close."

Meyer could only watch and shake his head at the shot that prevented a playoff.

"It was some sweet redemption there on 18 making that (approach) shot," he said. "(I wasn't) really stunned, but it's a tough pin, tough shot, and anything can happen. You can make three, or you can make five easy if you get a little cute. But he hit just a fabulous shot."

The youth had boundless energy under the clear skies and light winds. He elected to walk the whole course while his playing partners used golf carts, and after he putted for par on the hilly 15th he eagerly ran down the steep slope, weaving between onlookers, toward the next tee. People craned over apartment balconies and against the club's fence to get a look at him.

"I find that when I walk, I don't know exactly what it is, the way my mind works is kind of weird," Fujikawa said afterward with a slight smile. "When I ride the cart, it kind of relaxes me a little bit. When you're in a tournament like this, you don't really want to relax. I want to stay focused; I think by walking, taking my time it really helps me to stay in the game."

Maekawa, 17, of Hilo, has known Fujikawa for several years in the Hawaii junior golf circuit. He said he was amazed to see his friend's elevated level of play after more than a year had passed since their last round together.

"I was pretty stoked to be playing with him," Maekawa said. "It's always something to watch this guy play. He always had it in him, those kind of shots, but he's just taking his game to another level."

Fujikawa said he plans to focus on local junior golf tournaments for the rest of the year, with the exception of going for one or two PGA events. He's also been invited to at least two national talk shows.