Dalen Yamauchi doesn’t have Kila Kaaihue’s home-run swing, but the former Waiakea golfer was far more consistent at Oahu Country Club, where dry weather made a welcome presence on Thursday.
Yamauchi applied late pressure to smother Kaaihue 4-and-2 to advance to the quarterfinals at the 108th Manoa Cup in Honolulu.
During 14 professional seasons, including two years in Japan with the Hiroshima Carp, Kaaihue clubbed 249 homers.
The left-swinging former first baseman for the Kansas City Royals and Oakland A’s bogeyed two holes, Nos. 13 and 14, down the stretch while Yamauchi made par.
When the 6-foot-4 Kaaihue, who is a right-handed golfer, finally got his par on No. 15, Yamauchi birdied.
On No. 16, Kaaihue needed to beat Yamauchi to keep the match-play battle going. But the hole was a par 3, where precision trumps power every time.
Yamauchi made par while Kaaihue bogeyed and lost with two holes left in the Round of 16.
Even on the four par 5 holes, where Kaaihue held a distance advantage, Yamauchi beat him 2-1. They tied on the other par 5 hole.
Yamauchi, the 2015 runner-up, will face Mililani’s Justin Taparra, who’s an upcoming senior golfer at Chaminade in the quarterfinals at 7:08 a.m. Friday.
Former Vul golfer Isaac Jaffurs defeated Waiakea senior-to-be Shon Katahira 1-up.
Both were all square after No. 16, then Jaffurs birdied the par 4 17th hole while Katahira bogeyed.
On par 4 No. 18, Katahira needed to beat Jaffurs, but both parred the final hole.
Jaffurs faces Honolulu’s Shawn Lu at 7:24 a.m.
Lu, a recent Moanalua graduate, is headed to Oregon State on a golf scholarship. He also won the HHSAA state title as a senior.
Honolulu’s Evan Kawai defeated former Vul golfer Nick Matsushima 3-and-2.
