Sakurako Mori makes her living in Japan, but knows enough English to sprinkle a few words into a conversation.

“;Course management”; turned out to be a particularly handy phrase yesterday.

The 20-year-old Japan pro successfully navigated two tours of Hoakalei Country Club to win the U.S. Women's Open sectional qualifier in Ewa Beach.

Mori fired a 2-under par 70 in the second half of the 36-hole qualifier for a total of even-par 144 and will make her first appearance in the Women's Open July 8-11 in Oakmont, Pa.

Moanalua High graduate and Tulsa sophomore Kristina Merkle finished three shots behind Mori to claim the first-alternate spot. Cassy Isagawa, the reigning state high school champion, was the second alternate at 150.

Merkle carded a round of 1-over 73 over the first 18 holes, one stroke ahead of Mori, former Women's Open champion Liselotte Neumann and 'Iolani's Marissa Chow.

With the Ewa winds whipping across the 6,348-yard Ernie Els-designed layout during the afternoon round, Neumann shot an 85 and Chow finished with a 79.

Merkle turned in a steady 74, but settled for alternate status for the second straight year as Mori managed her way around the course to stay in contention on the front nine and carded two eagles on the back to move ahead.

Mori, who turned pro in 2008, hit a 5-wood off the tee on the 240-yard par-4 12th hole, her ball resting about 2 feet from the cup to set up her first eagle. The second came on No. 16 when her 8-iron approach took one hop on the green before dropping into the cup.

Mori played the front nine at 1 over with two birdies against three bogeys and was 2 over for her round going into No. 12. After her eagles, she closed the round with pars on 17 and 18 to card the only under-par round among the 20 entrants.

“;The wind was so strong and the green has lots of grain, so it's hard to read,”; Mori said through an interpreter.

Merkle fell short of qualifying for the Open by one stroke last year and another second-place finish magnified the “;almosts”; that dotted her round, leaving her to wait and wonder if a spot will open up.

“;I hung in there,”; Merkle said. “;But there's always shots you could have hit better or a putt you could have hit a little harder.

“;I had a birdie putt that I left right on the edge, I had a couple of other birdies that lipped out. ... It kind of upsets you because what if that would have fallen in. But at the end of the story you didn't make it.”;

The next big date on Merkle's calendar is the U.S. Women's Amateur Public Links in Indiana, June 21-26.

Isagawa, a Baldwin senior who won the state girls golf title earlier this month, paired her opening-round 77 with a 73 in the afternoon to place third.

Punahou sixth-grader Allisen Corpuz was paired with Neumann, the 1998 Women's Open champion, and the 12-year-old finished at 157 with rounds of 79 and 78.

Corpuz said she learned more about Neumann once she found out they were playing partners in the qualifier and “;was kind of nervous on the first few holes. But she's pretty nice.”;