PRINCEVILLE — Lihu‘e’s T.J. Kua is in a three-way tie for the lead in the Boys 16 to 18 division after the first round at the Westfield Aloha Section Junior PGA Championship, shot yesterday at the Princeville’s Makai Course. The
PRINCEVILLE — Lihu‘e’s T.J. Kua is in a three-way tie for the lead in the Boys 16 to 18 division after the first round at the Westfield Aloha Section Junior PGA Championship, shot yesterday at the Princeville’s Makai Course.
The lefty who plays for Kamehameha Schools Kapalama during the school year is tied with a 4-under par at 68 with Pahoa’s Pono Calip and Kailua’s David Fink.
Kua is coming off of last week’s USGA Junior Amateur sectional qualifier at Wailua Golf Course, where he finished second, qualifying him for the USGA Championship at Boone Valley Golf Course in Missouri starting on July 23.
Yesterday, it was business as usual.
“It’s the same old week with the same tough competition,” Kua said. “I’m just riding a high right now.”
Kelli Oride, also of Lihu‘e, is doing pretty well, too. She holds second place in the Girls 13 to 15 division, shooting at 74. She is currently three shots back from the lead that belongs to Kristen Sawada of Mililani.
Kua and Oride were just two of the 14 Kaua‘i golfers in the championship.
The day started off calm but the wind and the sprinkles picked up a bit as the golfers made their way through the courses.
The golfers aged 12 years old and younger shot the 9-hole Woods course, while the older, 13- to 18-year-old golfers played the 18-hole Ocean/Lakes course.
Hundreds of young golfers turned out for the championship to compete for a coveted spot in next month’s Westfield Junior PGA Championship in Ohio. The winners of the Boys and Girls 13 to 18 qualify to join over 150 of the nation’s top junior golfers in the PGA of America’s flagship junior event held July 11 to 14 at the Westfield Group Country Club in Westfield Center, Ohio.
Other Kaua‘i golfers vying for a shot were Wiley Yoshioka, Darren Valencia, Levi Miyashiro, Cory Oride, Sean Mamaclay, Bronzen Winters, Cyrus Ogawa, Rae-lyn Morikawa and Miki Ueoka.
Kaua‘i’s young golfers included Braeden Robley, Kai Adachi and Trevor Kua.
In other divisions, Eimi Koga of Honolulu leads the Girls 11 to 12 division with a 64.
Kalena Preus also of Honolulu leads the Boys 11 to 12 division with a 57.
Honolulu’s Lorens Chan, who beat out Kua for the top spot at the Wailua Sectionals, is tied with Lai‘e’s Inoka Kahawaii with a 72 in the Boys 13 to 15 division.
Play wraps today.
The 32nd National Westfield Junior PGA Championship is open to one boy and one girl champion from each of the 41 PGA Sections, the winners of select national junior tournaments conducted throughout the year and special invitees who have not reached their 19th birthdays and who have not started college.
Only two juniors from Hawai‘i have been able to capture this national title — Stephanie Kono in 2005 at Westfield Group course in Westfield Center, Ohio, and Reynold Lee in 1988 at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis, Mo.
• Lanaly Cabalo, sports editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 237) or lcabalo@kauaipubco.com.
