Two Kaua‘i boys faced off in the 101st Manoa Cup Championship at O‘ahu Country Club on Saturday. Layne Morita, 22, from Kapa‘a, a junior at Chaminade University, took on T.J. Kua, 19, from Lihu‘e, a freshman at University of Hawai‘i
Two Kaua‘i boys faced off in the 101st Manoa Cup Championship at O‘ahu Country Club on Saturday.
Layne Morita, 22, from Kapa‘a, a junior at Chaminade University, took on T.J. Kua, 19, from Lihu‘e, a freshman at University of Hawai‘i Manoa.
After the 36-hole final, it was Kua who came away with the 1 up win for the championship. The showdown was a match play event, meaning that each hole would be won, lost or halved, but total strokes would not be a factor.
Kua took the early advantage and was 2 up after nine holes. Morita came back to square the match on the 14th hole, but then lost three of the final four holes to put Kua 3 up after the first 18.
Kua won the first hole of the second round and held that advantage to a 4 up lead with just 11 holes left in the match.
Morita then made his move by winning the next three holes, capping it off with an impressive birdie on the par-4 10th. The two competitors then traded the next three holes and Morita put the pressure back on by winning the 16th hole to get himself once again to 1 down.
On the final two holes, each player made successive par 4s and Kua held off Morita to take home the title.
Kua and Morita had each knocked off a former Manoa Cup winner in the Semifinal round, Kua topping 2004 champ Ryan Perez, 3 & 2, and Morita beating 2007 winner Kurt Nino, 1 up.
Nino had knocked out last year’s champion, Alex Ching, in the Round of 16.
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