NAWILIWILI – Waimea High School golfer Noel Torres carded a hole-in-one at the third hole of the Kaua‘i Lagoons Mokihana Course to open up the KIF Golf season, Saturday. That shot, his second according to a spectator, helped the Menehune
NAWILIWILI – Waimea High School golfer Noel Torres carded a hole-in-one at the third hole of the Kaua‘i Lagoons Mokihana Course to open up the KIF Golf season, Saturday.
That shot, his second according to a spectator, helped the Menehune golfer top the front nine scores, crossing with a 32, three strokes better than the next best score, a 35 carded by Kaua‘i High School golfer Miki Ueoka.
Torres went on to finish the back nine with a 37 for a day-high 69, the best score of the field.
However, despite that singular feat, the Menehune finished second in the team competition with Kaua‘i Red Raider boys taking the team slot with a 269 as compared with the Menehune tally of 331.
Kapaa, with Jet Levinthol leading the Warrior pack, finished at third on a 355 total. Levinthol finished with a 79 (38-41).
Cory French, coming up short on his approach to number nine, came back to finish with a 70 (36-34) to lead the Red Raiders. Brett Netzer (37-35-72), Nikko Tacsiat (39-34-73), and Chad Nonaka (36-38-74) made up the Kaua‘i team.
Following Torres, Markland Soliva (41-43-84), Grant Kagawa (43-44-87), and Thad Fujii (42-49-91) made up the Waimea team.
Levinthol was followed by Travis Toguchi who launched an over-the-hill approach from the south-side of number nine in brisk winds that buffeted in from the north to cross with a 42 enroute to finishing at 80, Steven Boes (52-45-97), and Ferdinan Guerrero (52-47-99) made up the Warrior team effort.
Ueoka, who crossed three strokes better than Shelcie Takenouchi, fell back in the back nine with Takenouchi finishing with a 77 to lead the Kaua‘i girls team effort. Ueoka followed at 78 with Mary Akutagawa rounding out the team at 81 (43-38).
Kula High School fielded three golfers who were led by veteran Sean Ogawa finishing at 71 (36-35), Cyrus Ogawa (38-42-80), and Darren Rothschild (52-51-103).
Leslyn Ibara was the only other girl player from Waimea High School to take on the buffeting winds, but had no score despite a strong showing in the front nine.
Full results from Saturday’s opener are in the Scoreboard section of page B2.
