Pono Tokioka finished with a 76 Sunday, one stroke off the pace set by Justin Kurihara at the Hawai‘i State Open played at the Turtle Bay Resort on O‘ahu. That gave Tokioka second place on the final day in the
Pono Tokioka finished with a 76 Sunday, one stroke off the pace set by Justin Kurihara at the Hawai‘i State Open played at the Turtle Bay Resort on O‘ahu.
That gave Tokioka second place on the final day in the Men’s “A” Flight, but overall Kurihara locked up the top spot for the flight with a 220 (73-72-75) and Tokioka finished third with a 229 (78-75-76), just a stroke back of second-place finisher John Iyoki (77-73-78-228), according to the Aloha PGA Web site.
Jesse Mueller of Mesa, Ariz., the 2009 Hawai‘i Pearl Open champion, shot an 8-under-par 64 to capture the Open Division title at the Tournament. Kaua‘i golfer Jonathan Ota finished in a tie for 10th place with a 212 (75-71-66).
Dean Wilson, celebrating his 40th birthday last Thursday, shot a 6-under-par 66 for a three-day total of 12-under-par 204 to snare second-place honors.
Kirk Nelson of Makena took the Senior Division title with a three-day total 10-under-par 206 and Katie Kempter of Albuquerque, N.M., won a three-way playoff against Hawai‘i girls Cyd Okino and Xyra Suyetsugu, all three golfers finishing with a 220.
Kaua‘i’s Kelli Oride finished the final round with a 78 to end in fourth place with a 224 (71-75-78) in the Women’s Open. Miki Ueoka started the tournament with a 76 and 79, but did not finish.
Daniel Nishimoto finished the Senior Division in a tie for sixth place with a 218 (70-72-76) and Glenn Tamagawa ended in a tie for eighth place with a 221 (69-72-80).
The Open was played at Turtle Bay Golf’s Arnold Palmer and George Fazio golf courses from Thursday through Sunday, attracting a record 252 golfers from around the state and the Mainland, states a release from the Aloha PGA.
The tournament is a stroke play format with a cut to the low 33 percent and ties after 36 holes. All competitors completing 54 holes with an official score received purse money or merchandise certificates (for the amateurs).
Professionals competed for a purse of $45,000 and the amateur purse was $10,000 in merchandise certificates.
Traditionally Hawai‘i’s last tournament of the year, the Hawai‘i State Open is one of the state’s oldest events, the first matches being played in the 1920s to determine the best golfer in the islands.
“It is an honor to not only be the host but to also be the title sponsor of this event,” said Bob Boyle, vice president and general manager of Turtle Bay Resort. “We feel it is a privilege in these uncertain economic times to be able to invest in the future of golf in Hawai‘i.”
