WAILUA — Ike Tydingco recently took up golfing and came up short Sunday at the 2019 Mitchell Ota Match Play Championship presented by the Kauai Junior Golf Association at Wailua Golf Course.
Ike was defeated by Caleb Ito, 4 and 3, Sunday during the final round of the Match Play tournament where Brooklyn Cullen, and Rianna Chang also emerged as winners.
“He just started playing since April,” said Ike’s grandfather Eddie Tydingco who helped with scoring duty as well as lending moral support for the 6-year-old golfer. “The Masters got him hooked.”
Ike started his journey at the Mitchell Ota with a 4 and 3 win Lytron Shinno to advance to a playoff round against Noah Dela Pena who beat Judah Gordon 3 and 1 to advance.
But Dela Pena forfeited to send Gordon to the tee box against Ike.
“He’s young, and already participated in four tournaments this year,” said Jennifer Hreljac of the KJGA. “This is his second round in the nine-hole tournament format. If they finish before daylight gives up, he still has another round.”
Ike trooped through the course to finish with a 1 Up win over Gordon. But the daylight did not cooperate to force the finals playoff against Caleb Ito to Sunday.
Ito, top seed in the Boys 6-10 Flight, finished by beating Ayven Labuguen 1 Up to earn the title round eligibility.
“Both boys did awesome despite the heat,” said Joni Ito, Caleb’s mother.
On the girls’ course, Brooklyn Cullen took the Girls 6-10 Flight with a 5&3 win over Vivian Santy, and Rianna Chang, top seeded in the Girls 11-12 Flight, captured that crown with a 5&4 win over Rianna Chang.
Results
Boys 6-10 Flight: Ayven Labuguen def Kai Santy (5&4); Caleb Ito def Ayven Labuguen (1 Up); Caleb Ito def Ike Tydingco (4&3).
Noah Dela Pena def Judah Gordon (3&1); Ike Tydingco def Lytron Shinno (4&3); Ike Tydingco def Judah Gordon (1 Up).
Girls 6-10 Flight: Brooklyn Cullen def Vivan Santy (5&3).
Girls 11-12 Flight: Rian Yamamoto def Sydney Ito (4&3), Rianna Chang def Rianna Chang (5&4).
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Dennis Fujimoto, staff writer and photographer, can be reached at 245-0453 or dfujimoto@thegardenisland.com.
