When you’re a heavy hitter off the tee like Hilo’s Pono Yanagi, par-5 holes provide an opportunity to make a move.
Yanagi figures he can launch a long drive, hit an approach and then try to get up and down for birdie, knowing full well a par is acceptable.
And then there are holes such as No. 14 at Hokulia on Wednesday. Forget up and down, Yanagi buried an eagle and surged ahead when the leader melted down on No. 17, claiming the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association championship in Kealakekua.
“I was lucky that the chip shot went my way,” said Yanagi, who closed with a second consecutive 2-under 70 to edge first-round leader Alex Kam by two shots. “This is a huge accomplishment for me.”
The triumph not only was Yanagi’s first in the ages 15-18 division, it also gave him enough points to qualify for the Hawaii team at the Junior America’s Cup.
In the weeks before he begins his junior year at Kamehameha, Yanagi will have a traveling schedule on the mainland that rivals that of the best PGA Tour players.
He’s got junior worlds in San Diego from July 10-14, the Junior America’s Cup is July 23-27 in Dupont, Wash., and then Yanagi makes a quick turnaround to the Boys Junior PGA Championship in Missouri, which starts July 31.
He secured the trip to Washington largely because of his prowess the last two days on Hokulia’s longest holes, playing the par 5s at 6-under.
“It definitely helps to hit long off the tee and be able to hit a 4-iron or 3-iron to the green,” Yanagi said.
Trailing Kam by two shots as they approached the 511-yard No. 14, he said he hit a pretty solid drive and pulled a 3-wood with his second shot before tying Kam with a eagle.
Yanagi lost a stroke when he bogeyed No. 15, but Kam found misfortune after a bad drive two holes later, taking a triple-bogey 7.
“It wasn’t his hole,” Yanagi said. “After that, I just focused on making pars.”
Starting the round with a three-stroke lead, Mid-Pacific’s Kam carded a 75 to finish 2-under in second. Honolulu’s Lee Davis (72) and Even Kawai (70) tied for third at even-par.
Hilo’s High Ethan Hironaga and Riley Kaneshiro finished at 19-over and 25-over, respectively.
Kawai was coming off a runner-up finish at the 109th Manoa Cup last Saturday, and he passed on what proved to be a valuable piece of advice to Yanagi.
“He he told me keep giving yourself opportunities and eventually the putts will fall,” Yanagi said.
Eagles, too.
Kanno second
In boys 13-14, Honolulu’s Noah Koshi closed with a second consecutive 6-over 68, finishing three strokes clear of Isaiah Kanno (80), the reigning BIIF champion from Waiakea.
The other Big Islanders were Dillon Ah Chong (fourth, 17-over 161) and Aidan Oki (sixth, 26-over 170).
Waiakea’s Kaelyn Uchida came in at 179 in girls 15-18 (won by Oahu’s Malia Nam at 142). The lower division featured three golfers from Hilo: Kailey Oki in fourth at 165, four shots better than Lacey Uchida in fifth; Elle Otani was at 178. The medalist was Honolulu’s Karissa Kilby.
