2.14.2010--
Valentine’s Day proved to be charmed
for Akinori Tani (pictured right), a 35-year-old pro from
Hyogo, Japan. Tani candidly admitted that he was trying to lay
up with his second shot from about 200 yards out on the par-5 17th
hole, when he caught a flyer out of the left rough with a 9 iron
and ended up about 7 feet from the hole. He drained the eagle
putt to leapfrog over current leader
Nick Mason, who parred the
hole.
It is safe to assume that 17 was the
key hole for Tani’s victory as Mason the 27-year-old alum of
Leilehua High School led most of the day in fact he had a 1 shot
lead (11-under par while Tani was 10-under for the tournament)
going into 17. Further more as many of you know who play Pearl
CC, 17 is a short par 5 and each year it always plays as the
easiest hole on the course and thus many Pearl Open titles have
been won or lost due to this amazing hole. Most players expect
to make birdie or better on this hole while on the tee but many
have been bitten by it as well walking off with par or worse
scratching their head wondering what went wrong?
Tani shot a closing round 67 for a
12-under-par total of 204. Mason, who led by as many as
three-shots earlier in the day, shot 69 to finish one stroke
back of Tani. In a tight, seesaw struggle at times involving up
to seven or eight players, Korean pro Hyung Sung Kim
(70-65-71—206) took sole possession of third place.
After
completing yesterday’s second round, Tani and his fiancé ran off
and got married at the Calvary by the Sea chapel in the
afternoon. He said he thought about waiting for Valentine’s Day
to tie the knot, but had a premonition that if he won, there
would be an awards presentation and media interviews to contend
with – all of which proved to be true.
Ryutaro Kato (pictured right),
16, shot 72-68-72—212 to take low amateur honors by one stroke
over fellow Japanese amateurs Yosuke Asaji and Kouki
Furuta, who both finished at 3-under 213. Lowest Hawaii
amateurs were a pair of Kemehameha, Kapalama golfers; Donny
Hopoi (8th grader) and 17-year-old Alika Bell
(senior) who both finished at 7-over par 223 respectively T65
overall.
Weather for today’s final round was a
snap shot of yesterday, great! Blue sunny skies with a cool
stiff breeze.
The final round field stroke average was 73.64, the par 3 13th
hole played the most difficult at .41
strokes over par (3.41) while the easiest
hole was the par 5 1st averaging .44 strokes under par (4.56).
Other players of note:
Defending champion Jesse Mueller
mounted a charge on the front nine to get to 8-under at the
turn, but shot 1-over on the back side to finish tied for
seventh place.
Aside from Mason, who played for UH
Hilo, but then moved to Arizona, the next lowest low local pro
was Hilo’s Kevin Hayashi. Hayashi, a two-time HPO winner,
shot a final round 68 to finish ninth at 4-under 210.
By Arnold Hiura, MBFT, Pearl Open
Media Coordinator.
I wanted to send a big Mahalo to David
Ishii, Guy Yamamoto and the rest of the staff at Pearl Country
Club for their continued support and gracious hospitality,
Arnold & Elo Hiura of MBFT for all their help, Sue Asao &
Corinne Toyama for inputting all the daily data you all were
able to see here on 808Golf.com, Mike Tao of the PCC restaurant
for all the onolicious food, Jay Hinazumi and the rest of the
Hawaii State Golf Association staff and all who visited
808Golf.com during tournament time or anytime. Mahalo, Mahalo,
Mahalo!
