It wasn’t Pono Yanagi’s best round, but it got him where he wanted to go: junior worlds. ADVERTISING It wasn’t Pono Yanagi’s best round, but it got him where he wanted to go: junior worlds. Yanagi, who just finished the
It wasn’t Pono Yanagi’s best round, but it got him where he wanted to go: junior worlds.
Yanagi, who just finished the eighth-grade at Kamehameha, won the ages 13-14 division Sunday at an IMG Junior World Championships qualifier
Hilo’s Isaiah Kanno and Dysen Park also earned berths to worlds, which will be held in July at courses in and around San Diego.
Yanagi has made several trips to the tournament, but he missed out the past two years, allowing him to try a new course this time around.
“It’s always exciting to go compete on the mainland and meet and play against new people,” he said.
Yanagi pocketed a two-shot victory, finishing with a 10-over 82 that left him at 14-over for two rounds.
He made three birdies during a 76 on Saturday, but he said he struggled with his irons a day later, when he didn’t birdie a hole at Wailua Golf Course in Lihue.
“The distance of the course suited my game perfectly,” he said. “I just don’t think my preparation for the tournament was enough.”
Kanno finished fourth in boys 11-12, earning his trip by finishing with a 75 and a two-day total of 2-over.
In boys 9-10, Park was 1-under after a 71. He came in third. Park also qualified last year.
Among the golfers who failed to qualify were Waiakea’a Trevor Hirata (156) and Shon Katahira (157) and Kamehameha’s Preston Lee-Ching (154) and Kalai Pomroy (163).
On the girls side, Waiakea freshman Kaelyn Uchida (sixth, 164) fell short in girls 13-14, and Hilo’s Kailey Oki (158) and Lacey Uchida (160) were fifth and seventh, respectively, in girls 11-12.
