Most past champs survive first round at Manoa Cup

Agosto gets a Tadd bit of help

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Kurt Nino got the best of Alex Ching in a friendly practice round on Sunday. If they meet again this week, it'll be with the 100th Manoa Cup title on the line.

But after just one round, Nino knows it's too early to start thinking that far ahead.

"Anything can happen, anybody can get hot, and it always comes down to putting," the defending tournament champion said after his match yesterday.

Nino, the top seed in the state amateur match-play championship, advanced in the tournament as 10 of the top 11 seeds moved on to today's second round at Oahu Country Club.

Nino was among six past Manoa Cup champions to survive the first day, defeating No. 64 Tyler Ota 3 and 2. On the other side of the bracket, Ching, the second seed and medalist in Monday's qualifying round, got past Dwight Kahoohanohano 5 and 4.

Other past champions advancing were Kellen-Floyd Asao, Jonathan Ota, Travis Toyama, Brandan Kop and Ryan Perez.

Paul Spengler Jr., the 1969 champion, ended his stay with a 4 and 3 loss to 14-year-old Lorens Chan, a semifinalist last year who is making another run at becoming the tournament's youngest champion.

The biggest upset of the day was delivered by Moanalua junior-to-be Christian Agosto. With Tadd Fujikawa caddying for him, the 56th-seeded Agosto edged Alika Bell 1 up.

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No longer eligible to play in the Manoa Cup, Tadd Fujikawa has remained involved in the event by caddying for his friends the last two years.

And those rounds have taught him that carrying the bag can be even more stressful than swinging the clubs.

"Caddying is a totally different feel," said Fujikawa, who turned professional last year. "I feel like I have no control over what my player's doing, so it makes it a lot more nerve wracking."

That was particularly true yesterday when he helped fellow Moanalua student Christian Agosto around Oahu Country Club in a 1-up win over Alika Bell in a first-round upset in the 100th Manoa Cup.

A bogey putt on No. 18 was enough to send Agosto, the 56th seed coming out of Monday's qualifying round, into today's second round of the state amateur match-play championship.

"I felt pretty comfortable because of my caddy," said Agosto, an incoming junior and member of Na Menehune golf team. "He was a big factor in this, he helped me a lot."

Agosto was among 32 players left to tee it up this morning with the 16 survivors returning to OCC for the third round tomorrow starting at 7 a.m. The quarterfinals and semifinals are set for Friday with the 36-hole championship on Saturday.

The remaining contenders include six previous Manoa Cup winners. Advancing yesterday were defending champion Kurt Nino (3 and 2 over Tyler Ota), Kellen-Floyd Asao (4 and 3 over Cory Oride), Jonathan Ota (6 and 4 over Glenn Niitani), Ryan Perez (5 and 4 over Brett Komoto), two-time champion Travis Toyama (7 and 6 over Sean Doi) and four-time champion Brandan Kop (4 and 3 over Christopher Armanini).

State high school champion Alex Ching, the second seed and Monday's medalist, also moved on with a 5-and-4 win over Dwight Kahoohanohano.

Fujikawa's role in helping Agosto reach the second round in his first Manoa Cup appearance is the kind of story line that annually spices the early rounds of the nation's fourth-longest running tournament.

Toyama's record as the tournament's youngest winner figured to be threatened again this year, with 14-year-old Lorens Chan looking to improve on last year's semifinal berth.

Chan, the fifth seed, moved on by defeating 1969 champion Paul Spengler Jr. 4 and 3 in a cross-generational matchup.

The loss wasn't particularly heartbreaking for Spengler considering he had arranged to return home to Carmel, Calif., today. Not that he didn't give it his best shot.

After falling behind early, Spengler pulled even with Chan on No. 11. But a three-putt on No. 12 opened the door for Chan, who birdied Nos. 13 and 15 to close it out.

"He's an exceptional player an exceptional young man," Spengler said. "I've heard about his record so far and I think he'll be a great credit to Hawaii.

"He's a really good putter for sure and solid all the way through. He doesn't get rattled, he just stays in there."

Just nine of yesterday's 32 matches went 18 holes, with one going 19.

Punahou senior-to-be Bradley Yosaitis parred the first extra hole to win a roller coaster match with Jonathan Khil and advance to a meeting with Agosto.

A potential father-son second-round matchup didn't materialize, but Masao Toyama wasn't all that disappointed he wouldn't face Travis this morning.

"I'd rather watch him play," Masao Toyama said with a laugh after a 4-and-3 loss to Ron Haranda in his first Manoa Cup. "I enjoy that more. At least I can take the short cuts going up the hills."

The top eight seeds survived yesterday's play. Fourth-seeded Samuel Rodriguez III moved on with a 3-and-2 win over Kawika Shoji, a Stanford volleyball player and son of Hawaii coach Dave Shoji.