From TGI Reports – After firing a personal-best round of 68 on Monday, Kaua’i’s Kellen Watabu returned to earth Tuesday. The 13-year-old Kapa’a resident fired a 6-over-par 78 in the second round of the PGA Junior Series event at Wailea
From TGI Reports –
After firing a personal-best round of 68 on Monday, Kaua’i’s Kellen Watabu returned to earth Tuesday.
The 13-year-old Kapa’a resident fired a 6-over-par 78 in the second round of the PGA Junior Series event at Wailea Golf Club on Maui. His two-day total of 146 left him tied for second place in the boys’ 13-15 division with Wednesday’s final round to go.
Illinois’ Brandon Lawson moved into a five-stroke lead by shooting a second-day 73.
The PGA Junior Series is a coast-to-coast schedule of affordable and competitive golf for juniors age 13 to 17. The Maui event is one of 11 scheduled to take place throughout the country over the summer.
As for the other Watabu, 17-year-old Casey fell from a tie for first after round one to a tie for fifth with a 76. The score matched Kapa’a’s Kiilani Matsuyoshi (13-15) and Hanapepe’s Ashford Rita (13-15) for the best of the day shot by a Kaua’i participant.
The PGA Junior Series is now nationally recognized in the GolfWeek Sagarin points system. Since its debut in the summer of 1996, the PGA Junior Series has attracted more than 8,000 boy and girl golfers, representing 50 states, 13 countries and six continents, along with players from Bermuda, Guam, The Mariana and Marshall Islands and the District of Columbia.
Points are awarded to the boys and girls who finish in the top 15 in the 16-17-age division at each event.
The top two point leaders in both the boys’ and girls’ 16-17 divisions through the first seven events (concluding July 11) earn berths in the Westfield Junior PGA Championship (formerly PGA Junior Championship), July 18-21, at Westfield Center, Ohio.
Each boys’ and girls’ age-division winner from the first six events (through July 3) also qualify to compete in the Junior World Championship, July 17-20, in San Diego, Calif.
Here are the scores of all the Kaua’i participants:
Boys’ 16-17: Casey Watabu, 72, 76 (148); Erick Wong, 76, 78 (154); Juston Thomas, 80, 76 (156); Landon Peeren, 93, 87 (180)
Boys’ 13-15: Kellen Watabu, 68, 78 (146); Allan Baab, 70, 78 (148); Ashford Rita, 79, 76 (155); Bret Netzer, 77, 78 (155); Stephen Peeren, 78, 80 (158); Chad Nonaka, 86, 84 (170)
Girls’ 13-15: Kiilani Matsuyoshi, 82, 76 (158); Lehua Wise, 82, 82 (164); Jennie Pleas, 83, 84 (167)
