Kala‘i Pomroy is spending his summer like his BIIF golfing pals, chasing championships (big or small) and working on his game.
Kala‘i Pomroy is spending his summer like his BIIF golfing pals, chasing championships (big or small) and working on his game.
The incoming Kamehameha senior finished two shots back for second place at the Dave & Busters Junior Classic on Tuesday at Ewa Beach Golf Club.
It’s the second Hawaii State Junior Golf Association tournament he’s played on Oahu this summer. A week earlier, Pomroy was 17th at the Oahu Junior Tour Series tourney at Honolulu Country Club.
It’s the first time Pomroy played at Ewa Beach, known for its kiawe trees hanging along the fairways and as the home club of former Vul golfer Nick Mason.
Pomroy checked in with a 10-over-par 75-79—154 total to trail medalist and Punahou junior-to-be Remington Hirano’s 8-over 74-78—152 total.
Two other Big Island golfers were incoming Kamehameha sophomore Pono Yanagi, fourth, 12-over 78-78—156; and recent Kamehameha graduate Preston Ching, 12th, 10-over 81-82—163.
The three Warriors were the only Big Islanders at the Dave & Busters Junior Classic, where Hirano received recognition and a trophy, but not a lifetime supply of game tokens and free hamburger coupons.
Pomroy bogeyed four of the last five holes on his way to a 78, but he was still in the ballgame late in the day, tied on the 15th hole.
Both were at 7-over after Hirano double bogeyed the par 4 15th. However, he closed par, par, and bogey to Pomroy’s trio of bogeys.
“I knew it was going to be a tough day with the pin placements, and the wind picked up on the back nine,” Pomroy said. “I lost my focus a little bit. It can turn around so fast. You have to stay focused. But I tried my best and stayed calm.”
Here’s a good trivia question for local golfers: Name a golf course with no driving range.
Ewa Beach doesn’t have one, so most of the golfers in the 29-player field headed to Hawaii Prince to pound balls.
“I spent more time on the putting green (at Ewa Beach),” Pomroy said. “It saved me today and Monday. I made birdies here and there. You have to keep your drives on the fairways. The kiawe trees line every single fairway.”
Pomroy made two birdies in each round, compared to Hirano’s five birdies, including three in the first round.
The two might see each other in the HHSAA state golf championship. Hirano didn’t play at states on a stacked Buffanblu squad; Pomroy was 17 shots back of Moanalua medalist Shawn Lu in May.
Pomroy knows all about the feeling of finishing runner-up. He’s been second to recent Waiakea graduate Trevor Hirata at the BIIF championships.
However, Pomroy, along with Ching, Yanagi, and John Andrade, was part of the historic Kamehameha squad that captured the program’s first BIIF team title during the spring season.
Next up for Pomroy is his first Big Island Amateur Championship, which is held in August at Mauna Lani. (Former Waiakea golfer Dalen Yamauchi is the defending champion, and Waiakea incoming senior Shon Katahira won in 2014.)
“We all grew up together. It’s good competition,” Pomroy said. “We all play each other, and we’re all proud of each other.
“I’ve been the BIIF runner-up twice already. Of course, I’d like to take the individual title. But more importantly, it’s the team title. We lost Preston (who’ll golf at UH-Hilo), and Waiakea lost Trevor (UH-Manoa). We’ve got a good young golfer in Pono, and it’ll pretty much be good competition again.”
Early tee time
Katahira will compete with a dozen others in the early morning to reach the match play stage later Wednesday at the U.S. Junior Amateur in Ooltwah, Tenn.
He shot a 79 on Tuesday for a 7-over 151 total, not good enough to make the cut but at least good enough to get him in a 13-golfer playoff for seven spots.
Katahira’s 79 included seven bogeys and one double bogey. That high-score barrage drowned his fine work of two birdies.
The 13-player playoff starts at 7:15 a.m. with the match play portion to follow.
Dalen done
Yamauchi shot a 4-over 76 at a local qualifier for the U.S. Amateur on Tuesday at Oahu’s Turtle Bay Resort and was far out of the running for the sole spot.
The 2011 Waiakea graduate finished with four bogeys and a triple bogey. Yamauchi had one birdie, after making five in the first round for a 68.
It was his first attempt at the U.S. Amateur local qualifier. Yamauchi was the only Big Islander in the 23-player field.