Hilo’s Isaiah Kanno did everything he could to defend his title at the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association championships.
He just couldn’t catch Honolulu’s Kolbe Irei.
Kanno nearly completed two rounds of bogey-free golf at Hokulia, firing a second consecutive 69 on Wednesday to finish at a sultry 6-under 138. That still left him two shots shy of Irei in Kealakekua.
“I just played solid,” Kanno said. “I didn’t make a lot of birdie putts, but I always gave myself an easy par.
“I was just playing golf. Not worrying about things that could happen on my round.”
The Waiakea High senior and Irei were the class of the field, but if there was a difference between the two golfers, it came on the greens.
Kanno opened his second round with 13 consecutive pars before going on a four-hole birdie binge and making bogey on 18. Irei, a Roosevelt High senior coming off of a runner-up finish at the HHSAA championships in May at Waikoloa, put together consecutive 68s. His only bogey came Wednesday as well, but he found more scoring opportunities through the tournament’s two days.
“Congrats to Kolbe,” Kanno said. “Kolbe played solid today just like me. Just a little more of his birdie putts went in.”
The next Big Islander was Keaau’s Dillon Ah Chong, who posted his second 76 and tied for eighth at 8-over, while Hilo’s Riku Omata closed with a 73 to finish another shot back in 11th. Waikoloa’s Ethan Jaehn (80) was 12th at 10-over, and Hilo’s Riley Kaneshiro carded another 78 for 13th place.
The round of the day belonged to Honolulu’s Kyung Eun Lee, who sizzled with a 66 to get to 2-over in the girls competition, then the Iolani junior beat Shayna Lu (75) in a playoff.
Hilo’s Lacey Uchida carded her second straight 76 and was fifth, and Hilo’s Elle Otani tied for 10th after a second 80 in as many days.
In the boys 13-14 flight, Honolulu’s Joshua Chang (69) cruised to a 13-shot victory at 7-under, with Hilo’s Noah Otani (77) finishing third at 11-over.
There also was a playoff to decide the younger girls division. Oahu’s Teal Matsueda (78), Rachael Wang (77) and Raya Nakao (76) all were 9-under after 36 holes, and Matsueda survived the playoff.