Hilo’s Jake Otani and Waikoloa’s Ethan Jaehn shined brightest from the Big Island when the best of the best that Hawaii junior golf has to offer finished the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association season last weekend on Kauai.
Teeing off at the Michelle Wie Tournament of Champion at Wailea, Otani claimed his first tournament of the year when he won a playoff in the boys 7-10 division, while Jaehn carded his second win in boys 13-14.
Jaehn recorded rounds of 72-70 to finish 2-under and two strokes ahead of runner-up Dysen Park of Hilo, who shot even-par both rounds on a 6,361-yard course.
Jaehn was also just higher in the points standings, placing fourth, one spot above Park. With eight wins in 15 tries, Oahu’s Joshua Hayashida was third.
• In the youngest division, Otani edged Oahu’s Tristan Bayot after each finished at 169 on a course that played 5,256 yards.
• In the senior boys division, Hilo’s Isaiah Kanno (72-20) and Kamehameha’s Pono Yanagi (70-72) each came in at 2-under and were four strokes behind the winner, Honolulu’s Davis Lee. Yanagi was fifth in the point standings and Kanno eighth after each pocketed two tournaments in 2018.
• In girls 15-18, Hilo’s Lacey Uchida (77-75) came in 8-over, good enough for fifth. Uchida was second in the point standings behind Honolulu’s Kyung Eun Lee.
• In boys 11-12, Hilo’s Noah Otani (78-77) finished just a shot of the lead after Maui’s Ben Cafferio closed with a 75 to get to 10-over. On the season, Otani has a Junior Tour Series victory on Maui to his credit.
• In girls 13-14, Hilo’s Kailey Oki was sixth at 167. Oki was fifth in the points standings, also winning on Maui.