2011 Gambler's Classic Recap

2011 Gambler's Classic a Huge Success

Ewa Beach, HI—The Golf Channel Am Tour Hawaii hosted the 2011 Inaugural Gambler's Classic this past Saturday afternoon at the beautiful Ewa Beach Golf Club. Near perfect conditions made the course vulnerable to low scoring, but the challenging greens kept players from taking full advantage. In the end, three new champions were crowned, including one from the other side of the globe.

Palmer Flight: In the Palmer Flight, Nathan Viernes, of Waipahu, HI, jumped out to an early lead after 10 pars, 7 consecutively, followed by a birdie on hole 10. It looked like the win was in the bag for him, as Nathan took a 5-shot lead into the 13th hole. However, Nathan didn't slam the door shut and finished with 3 double bogeys and 1 triple bogey in the final 6 holes to finish in 3rd place with a round of 82. Dennis Harrison, also of Waipahu, HI, started out consistently as well finding himself tied for the lead going into the final hole of competition. Unfortunately, Dennis wasn't able to tame the difficult 18th hole as he finished with a double bogey that cost him the championship. Casey Kimura, of Kaneohe, HI, struggled from the start with a double bogey on the 1st hole and found himself 7-over par after only 8 holes. Casey was able to refocus himself and finish the final 10 holes in even par to win his third championship of the year and automatically qualify for the 2011 National Championships.

Hogan Flight: In the Hogan Flight, Tour rookie Lance Migita, of Wailuku, HI, showed that he is going to be a force to be reckoned with in the future after posting a round of 79 and taking home his first championship trophy. Lance jumped out to an early lead and never looked back. After consecutive birdies on holes 3 and 4, Lance made the turn in 2-over par 38 and although he finished a little shakey, he held off any late charge attempts that were made. The rest of the field tried to catch up with Lance, but fell short as three players each shot rounds of 87 to come in a tie for 2nd place. Greg Duldulao, Steven Broner, and Daron Akiyama each managed to finish in a tie for second.

Sr. Hogan Flight: In the Senior Hogan Flight, everyone seemed to struggle a on the front nine but as they made the turn for home, Craig Gallagher, of Honolulu, HI, seperated himself from the rest of the field to win his 1st event of the 2011 season. Craig made the turn in 41 and was tied with Tama Taulau, of Pearl City, HI, for 1st place. However on the back nine, Craig stepped up his game making only 3 bogeys as he closed out his round of 80 in first place. Tama came close to tasting victory once again, but finished with 5 bogeys on the back nine to finish in solo 2nd with a round of 82. Rounding out the top 3 was points leader Bernie Lam Ho, of Makakilo, HI, and Greg Hall, of Ewa Beach, HI, who finished in a tie for 3rd with rounds of 83 respectively.

Sarazen Flight: In the Sarazen Flight, Joe Livingston of Oceanside, NY, flew the farthest distance of anyone this year and then managed to steal one away from the rest of the field as he won his 1st event of the 2011 season. Rey Garo, of Aiea, HI, looked like he was the man to beat after making the turn in 7-over par 42. However, things started to unravel on the difficult par-3 13th. Rey still managed to stop the bleeding at 9, but that dropped him into a brief tie for 1st with Joe Livingston. Rey held a slim 1-stroke over Joe and was tie with Martin Sprague, of Honolulu, HI, going into the par-5 17th. Both Rey and Martin struggled on this lengthy par-5 with Martin posting a double bogey and Rey posting a triple bogey. The door swung open just enough for Joe to take advantage and slip by both players with a par on the 17th. As every true champion does, Joe finished in style with a beautiful par on the closing hole to shut the door on his competition and take home the trophy. Rey finished in solo 2nd place with a round of 91. Finishing off the top 3 were Martin Sprague and Michael Nishikawa who both shot rounds of 92 which was good enough for a tie for 3rd.

Jones Flight: In the Jones Flight, David Tilley of Ewa Beach, HI, finally broke through for his 1st win on Tour. David has fought hard all year long and has flirted a couple of times with the championship trophy. This time, he was not going to be denied. With a flight leading 6-over par 42 at the turn, David took a two stroke lead over the field with his birdie on the par-5 9th. Daniel Chong of Kaneohe, HI, made his move when David struggled after making the turn. He briefly took a 2-stroke lead when David ran into a road block on the par-4 15th hole. However, Daniel gave back the lead in just two holes as he went bogey, double bogey on 16 and 17. This was enough for David to capitalize on and he finished in dramatic fashion with 3 straight par's on the final 3 holes of competition to claim his first win. Daniel continued his strong showing as of late with a solo 2nd place finish as he posted a round of 88. Rounding out the top 3 was Barbara Syler who finished a round of 89 and another very strong showing as the only female competitor in the field.

Thanks to all of the players, the Inaugural Gambler's Classic was a huge success! The interest in the pre-round "Gambler's Challenge" was great and the feedback has been extremely positive. The Hawaii Tour would like to thank not only the participants, but the Ewa Beach GC course staff as well for providing a wonderful course that was in pristine condition. The Hawaii Tour would also like to thank its local sponsor Hawaii Water for providing the "Perfect drink to hydrate your body!".

Finally, the Hawaii Tour travels to Turtle Bay for the season-ending 2011 Hawaii Tour Championship at the challenging Palmer Course at Turtle Bay Golf Resort on Saturday, August 27. Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2011 Gambler's Classic and warm mahalo to all those who compete and make this Tour possible! I look forward to seeing you at the 2011 Hawaii Tour Championship!

Gambler's Classic Big Break Challenge!

ATTENTION ALL GAMBLER'S CLASSIC PARTICIPANTS. Come challenge yourself at the Gambler’s Classic Big Break Challenge! Win your share of over $1000 IN CASH AND PRIZES! Incredible prizes will be raffled away at the end of the tournament for all those who take the Gambler's Classic Big Break Challenge! Prizes include: a FREE 1-year Membership to the Hawaii Tour, FREE Hawaii Tour Tournament Entry Gift Certificates, discounted rounds of golf, and more will all be given away!!!

Three challenging stations await you, putting, chipping, and a greenside bunker. Each player that takes the challenge will receive 2 shots at each station as well as a raffle ticket just for playing. If you hole out any 1 of those shots, you could win your share of the CASH PRIZE JACKPOT! Any shot that finishes inside the circle of your target will receive another entry into the raffle increasing your chances of winning!!!

THE MORE YOU PLAY, THE MORE WE GIVE AWAY!!!

The Challenge will only be available from 9:30 am to 12:30 pm, so get there early and see if you’ve got what it takes to WIN BIG in the Gambler's Classic Big Break Challenge!!!

2011 Ko Olina Championship Recap

2011 Ko Olina Championship Winners Crowned

Ko Olina, HI—The Golf Channel Am Tour Hawaii wrapped up the 2011 Ko Olina Championship on Saturday afternoon at the beautiful Ko Olina Golf Club. Blustery winds of over 25+ mph and passing showers added to the always challenging greens which faced the Tour players on Saturday. Even with the difficult weather conditions, a few of the players were able to shoot lights out and completely seperate themselves from the rest of the field.

Palmer Flight: In the Palmer Flight, Dennis Harrison jumped out to an early lead after consecutive birdies on holes 3 and 4 to get him to 1-under par for the championship. Dennis, fresh off his playoff loss in Maui, wanted to send a statement to the rest of the field. Even though he had struggled a little in the middle of his round, he was able to finish strong with consecutive birdies again on holes 17 and the difficult 18th. Dennis finished the Ko Olina Championship with a 9-shot lead over the rest of the field and won his 2nd event of the 2011 season with a round of 74. Darryl Wassum, of Ewa Beach, HI, started out a little shaky but was able to turn things around with birdies on hole 5 and 6. Unfortunately it was not enough to catch the leader, as Darryl finished in solo 2nd with a round of 83. Rounding out the top 3 was Ed Aguilar, from Kihei, HI. After winning his first competitive event, Ed managed to card another top 3 finish in his career on the Am Tour with a round of 85.

Hogan Flight: In the Hogan Flight, Andy Sulzer of Kaimuki, HI, showed his consistency and determination to the rest of the field as he won for the 3rd time this season, with the last 2 wins coming back to back. With a only a 1-shot lead at the turn, Andy was able to make his way around the challenging back nine without any big numbers on his scorecard. As he stepped up to the 18th tee with a 5-stroke lead on the field, Andy was able to close the deal with a bogey and finish on top with a round of 79. Greg Duldulao of Pearl City, HI jumped out to an early lead with a birdie on the 1st hole, but saw his lead diminish after a triple-bogey on #6. After making the turn only 1-shot off the lead, Greg faltered on the back nine with three bogeys and two doubles to finish in solo 2nd with an 11-over 83. Chris Fujiwara, of Waikolo, HI, provided some fireworks in his last event on Tour. He started out strong with 5 consecutive pars and found himself only one back at the turn. Chris ran into trouble on holes 10, 12, and 13 and wasn't able to recover the ground he gave up to eventual winner Andy Sulzer. Unwavering, Chris managed to finish off his career with 3 consecutive pars to round out the top 3 with a round of 84.

Sr. Hogan Flight: In the Senior Hogan Flight, Bernie Lam Ho of Makakilo, HI, dominated the rest of the field and won his 4th tournament of the year in dramatic fashion. He was a force to be reckoned with and showed why he is the point leader in his flight. After bogeying the first hole, Bernie bounced back with consecutive birdies on holes 6 and 7. After dropping another shot on the difficult par-3 8th hole, Bernie put together a string of eight pars, one birdie, and only one bogey over last ten holes. Bernie Lam Ho finished on top with the tournament low round of 72 and an 11-shot lead over the rest of the field. Although Bernie ran away with the win, there was a very heated race for 2nd. Randy Teixeira, from Pearl City, HI, actually led the tournament for a stretch as he found himself 2-under par stepping up to the 8th hole. After bogeying holes 8 and 9, he made the turn tied for the lead. However, Randy struggled coming down the stretch to finish in a 4-way tie for 2nd at 11-over 83. Also finishing in that 4-way tie was Ian MacLean, of Aiea, HI, who seemed poised to steal one away from Bernie until the disastrous 10th hole. Craig Gallagher and Mike Ramia also finished in the 4-way tie for 2nd place, with Mike giving the field a jolt with his hole-out eagle from the fairway on 17.

Sarazen Flight: In the Sarazen Flight, Michael Nishikawa of Ewa Beach, HI edged out the field as he won his 2nd event of the 2011 season. After a very solid showing on the front nine making the turn in 6-over par 42, Michael quickly found trouble on the back nine posting 3 doubles in only 4 holes. However, he quickly bounced back with a birdie on the par-5 14th hole which gave him the 1-shot lead he would eventually take into the winner's circle. Mike finished on top of the leaderboard with a 1-stroke margin of victory over the field with an 86. Lewis Kidd of Cupertino, CA, gave a brilliant effort and closed the gap on Nishikawa on the back nine, but came up just short on the final hole to finish in solo 2nd place with a round of 87. Rey Garo of Aiea, HI, put up a valiant effort as well and found himself only one shot off the lead with 2 holes to play. He wasn't able to find the right club as he finished with double and triple bogey to finish in a 3-way tie for 3rd with Bruce Legrand of Houston, TX, and Edward Medeiros of Honolulu, HI.

Jones Flight: In the Jones Flight, Kyle Paishon of Pearl City, HI was tired of knocking on the door and decided to break it down for his 1st win of the 2011 season. Kyle served notice to all on the front nine with a blistering score of 4-over par 40. Unfortunately, he was assessed a two stroke penatly on the 10th hole for trying to be a good samaritan, but as they say..."No good deed goes unpunished." Even with his penalty, Kyle managed to put together a very respectable back-nine score of 8-over par 44. In the end, Kyle's final round score of 84 was just enought ot hold off defending champion Barbara Syler, of Kapolei, HI, for 1st place. Barabara seemed to determined to successfully defend her title at the 2011 Ko Olina Championship, but was ultimately thwarted by a double bogey on the par-3 16th hole. Even though Barbara wasn't able to defend her title, she finished in solo 2nd with a final round score of 85. Rounding out the top 3 was Bill Burr of Mililani, HI, and William Brown of Waianae, HI, both of whom shot a round of 14-over 86 and finished in a tie for 3rd.

Thanks to all of the players, the 2011 Ko Olina Championship was a huge success! The Hawaii Tour would like to thank not only the participants, but the course staff as well for providing a wonderful course that was in great condition for us to play. The Hawaii Tour would also like to thank its local sponsor Hawaii Water.

Next up, the Hawaii Tour travels to Ewa Beach for the Inaugural 2011 Gambler's Classic at the beautiful Ewa Beach Golf Club on July 30. Congratulations to all of the winners of the 2011 Ko Olina Championship and a big mahalo to all those who competed in the event and made this event possible! 

2011 Maui Masters Recap

Akiyama's Hole in One was highlight of 2011 Maui Masters

Kapalua, HI - The Bay Course, at the Kapalua Golf Resort, played host to the 2011 Maui Masters. The weather took on a Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde persona as day 1 saw stormy conditions with heavy rain, and day 2 saw beautiful sunny skies. Most of the TOUR players were not able to take advantage of the course during the first round, but many of them were able to bounce back with better conditions in the second round. In the end, the most memorable shot was Daron Akiyama's 6-iron on the par-3 3rd. And as most of the players who congregated at the 19th hole to celebrate would tell you... Grey Goose never tasted so good!!!

Championship Flight - Returning to defend his title, Jimmy Kawaihalau didn't disappoint by posting the two lowest scores of the tournament. Most impressive was his consistency in stormy conditions as he played 28 out 36 holes in even par or better. Jimmy Kawaihalau posted a two day total of 152 to take the Championship Flight and defend his Maui Masters title.

Palmer Flight - Ed Aguilar, who hails from Kihei, HI, managed to win his first competitive event in dramatic fashion. Ed led after the first round posting a 78, along with Casey Kimura, from Kaneohe,HI, and Jim Mansell, from Kailua, HI. Making a late charge in the second round was Dennis Harrison, from Waipahu, HI, posting a 77 to pull into a tie for first after 36 holes with Ed Aguilar. It only took one playoff hole for Ed to claim his 1st career win on Tour. Dennis Harrison played well but faltered on the first playoff hole to finish in 2nd place with a two day total of 157. Jim Mansell, after beginning round 2 in a tie for first, stumbled on the front nine and wasn't able to recover. Jim rounded out the top 3 with a two day total of 159.

Hogan Flight - Andy Sulzer, from Kaimuki, HI, capped off another great win on Tour with a spectacular comeback in the second round. Timo Driedger, from Kamuela, Hi, posted a first round 81 and led by one stroke over Chris Fujiwara and Steven Broner after day 1. Going into the final round, both Timo and Chris struggled to manage the course well, as both of their scores dramatically increased in the second round. Andy Sulzer was alone in 3rd at the start of the second round, but quickly leapfrogged everyone after shooting a 2-over 37 on the front nine. Andy managed to hold on to his lead on the closing holes to take home his 2nd win on Tour this season with a two day total 167. Both Timo Driedger and Chris Fujiwara finished in a tie for 2nd with a two day total of 169.

Senior Hogan Flight - In the most closely contested flight of the Maui Masters, Bernie Lam Ho, from Makakilo, HI, managed to secure not only another win on Tour this season, but he also secured his spot in the Senior National Championships in September. After round 1, Bernie held a very slim lead after posting a great round of 80. Tama Taulau and Randy Teixeira were nipping at Bernie's heels with first round scores of 81 and 82 respectively. In the second round, Bernie was just two steady as he posted another round of 80 to beat Tama Taulau by 1 stroke with a two day total of 160. This was Bernie's 3rd win on Tour this year, thus automatically qualifying him for the Senior National Championships in September. Tama Taulau, of Pearl City, HI, finished in 2nd with a two day total of 161. Rounding out the top 3 was Craig Gallagher, from Honolulu, HI, who posted a two day total 165.

Sarazen Flight - Claiming his 1st win on Tour this year was Rey Garo, from Aiea, HI. In another closely contested flight, Rey Garo came on strong in the final round, posting a two day total of 172, to win the Sarazen flight at the 2011 Maui Masters. Michael Atwood, from Haiku, HI, led the tournament for 15 of 18 the holes in round 1 before playing the last 3 holes in 10-over par. However, Mike rebounded from the disastrous finish in round 1, to post an 85 on day 2 and finish in second place with a two day total 176. Joshua Poirier, from Honolulu, HI, who led with Rey Garo at 87 after the first round, stumbled heavily on the front nine of the second round to finish in 3rd with a two day total 180.

Jones Flight - Daniel Chong, from Kaneohe, HI, got his 2nd win on Tour this season with a dramatic wire to wire victory. Daniel started out strong with a birdie on the very first hole of competition and never looked back. He was able to back up his first round 90 with an outstanding display of driving and iron play on his way to an amazing second round 82. Daniel finished with a two day total of 172, which was a full 7 shots clear of the rest of the field. David Tilley, of Ewa Beach, HI, trailed Daniel by 1 stroke after day 1, but wasn't able to chase him down. David finished in 2nd place with at two day total 179. Josh Shelley, who hails from Kihei, HI, played very consistently on both days, posting two consecutive rounds of 92, to finish alone in 3rd with a two day total 184.

The 2011 Maui Masters was threatened by rain throughout day 1, but ended up being a huge success with better weather on the final day of competition. I would like to personally congratulate Daron Akiyama for making the 1st Hole in One on the Hawaii Tour! The Hawaii Tour would like to thank all of the participants for making this event so special. The Hawaii Tour would also like to thank the Kapalua Golf Resort and the Bay Course staff for providing us with a great venue to compete at.

Next up, the Hawaii Tour returns to the Ko'Olina Golf Course for the 2011 Ko'Olina Championship on Saturday, July 9. Congratulatios to all of the winners of the 2011 Maui Masters and a big thank you to all the Tour players that competed in the event! We'll see you all at Ko'Olina!!!

Best Wishes for Dayron Vargas

The GC Am Tour Hawaii would like to send out a special Thank You and Best Wishes to Dayron Vargas. Dayron is not only a member of the GC Am Tour, but is also a member of the U.S. Armed Services. He is being deployed shortly and will not be able to continue with us for the rest of this year, but wants everyone to know that he will be back strong next year! We send with him our deepest gratitude for his service and our best wishes for his safe return. Our prayers will be with you.

We would also like to recognize all of our service-men and -women who have sacrificed for our freedoms that we enjoy today. Thank you to each and every GC Am Tour member who has chosen to be a protector of this great nation. It is my honor to be able to host each and every one of you at our events.

2011 Kapolei Championship Recap!

Stormy Conditions Defined 2011 Kapolei Championship

Kapolei, HI – Golf Channel Am Tour Hawaii wrapped up the 2011 Kapolei Championship on Saturday at the Kapolei Golf Course. Passing thunderstorms and flash flood rain threatened the event all week long leading up to Saturday morning. With cool, overcast conditions and 15-25 mph wind, the first pairing stepped up to the tee. Most of the players were able to finish the front nine before the heavens opened up and brought a steady, constant rain. Even with questionable weather the players finished strong forcing a sudden-death playoff in both the Senior Hogan and the Jones

Palmer Flight: In the Palmer Flight Casey Kimura fired the low round of the day to the take his place in the winner’s circle on Saturday.  Kimura, who hails from Kaneohe, HI, trailed by 1-stroke at the turn but made a critical birdie on 17 to pull into a tie for first and eventually won by two strokes at 6-over par 78. Jim Mansell, from Kailua, HI, played well all day but made a double bogey on final hole to finished in 2nd place at 8-over par 80 and Darryl Wassum, of Ewa Beach, HI, finished in solo 3rd place with a 13-over par 85 to round out the top 3.

Hogan Flight: Greg Duldulao of Pearl City, HI struggled on the front nine but managed to get a stroke back on the par-5 7th to make the turn only trailing by 1 stroke. Undaunted, Duldulao took advantage when the leader stumbled on the back nine and eventually won by 1-stroke with a 9-over 81. Andy Sulzer of Kaimuki, HI played with great consistency on the front nine, but couldn't overcome a couple key mistakes on the back nine. Sulzer's bogey on the final hole would be the stroke that cost him the trophy. Andy Sulzer finished in 2nd place with a 10-over par 82. Daron Akiyama and Steven Broner, finished in a tie for 3rd with a pair of 13-over par 85's, to round out the top 3 of the Hogan Flight.

Sr. Hogan Flight: Bernie Lam Ho of Makakilo, HI won his 2nd tournament of the year in dramatic fashion. Lam Ho played good all round, but struggled coming in finishing bogey, bouble bogey to fall back into a three-way tie for first at 9-over 81. Newcomer Greg Hall and tour veteran Tama Taulau both shot lights out on the back nine to catch Lam Ho in the clubhouse. With rain pouring down around them, the trio headed to the first playoff hole where eventually Bernie Lam Ho would take the victory with a 2-putt par. Greg Hall had a very strong showing in his first event playing the last 11 holes in 2-over par. As always, Tama Taulau applied the pressure when he eagled the 14th hole and followed that up with the lone birdie on the difficult par-3 16th. Both Hall and Taulau finished tied for 2nd in the Hogan Flight, with Craig Gallagher finishing in 4th, just missing out on the playoff by 1 stroke.

Sarazen Flight: Mike Myers of Honolulu, HI continued his dominance of the Sarazen Flight to claim his second win of the 2011 Season and solidify his position at the top of the Callaway Order of Merit points race. Myers had a great front nine shooting a 3-over 39 and managed to hold on just enough as the weather took a turn for the worst on the back nine. He fired a 14-over 86 to win the Sarazen flight by 2 strokes. Rey Garo tried to put a run together on the back nine to challenge Myers, but wasn't able to overcome the weather. Garo finished in tie for 2nd with Martin Sprague, both shooting identical 16-over par 88's, to round out the top 3.

Jones Flight: William Brown of Waianae, HI needed to play 2 extra holes in sudden death to secure his 2nd win of the 2011 season. Both William Brown and Kyle Paishon matched each other shot for shot, but Brown's triple bogey on the final hole allowed Paishon to catch Brown in the clubhouse, with both competitors posting a 16-over par 88. After tieing each other on the first playoff hole, Brown played the second playoff hole beautifully. Always the gentleman, Paishon applauded Brown for his accomplishment amidst the rain. Daniel Chong of Kaneohe, HI rounded out the top 3 with a 22-over 94.

2011 Waikele Classic Recap

Change of venue proved difficult at the Waikele Classic

Makaha, HI - In a suprising twist of events, the Makaha Resort Golf Course hosted the 2011 Waikele Classic. However, this change proved most difficult for many of the players. Many of the TOUR players were not able to take advantage of the lengthy course and especially it's meandering back nine. Only a few players rose above the challenge to claim their position on top the leaderboard.

The Championship flight went out first on Saturday afternoon, and Tour veterans Dennis Harrison and Casey Kimura didn't waste much time getting right in the mix. Casey got off to a fast start with a birdies on the first hole before giving it back with consecutive bogeys on 2 & 3. Dennis Harrison showed the most consistency on the front nine, putting up 7 pars and 2 bogeys on his way to a front nine 38. Casey Kimura trailed closely behind the leader, staying within 2 strokes at the turn. Newcomer, Adam Delph, started out the day very shaky with 3 bogeys, 1 double bogey, and 1 triple bogey in the first 5 holes. However, Adam managed to fix his problems quickly putting up 3 birdies and only 2 bogeys in the next 12 holes. That was good enought to put him into a tie for 1st going into the 18 hole, but it wasn't to be for him. In the end, it was Jim Mansell who snuck up on everyone and shot a near perfect back nine to come back from 4 strokes down to win by 2 strokes over playing partner, Adam Delph on the final hole.

In the Hogan flight, seasoned veteran, Andy Sulzer, showed off his consistency throughout most of round until finding trouble on the 17 & 18 holes. Greg Duldulao put up a good fight pulling even with Andy through the first nine holes, but wasn't able keep up as Andy pulled away from the rest of the competition. Uniquely enough, even with a 5 stroke lead going into the last two holes, Andy wasn't able to completely slam the door on the rest of the competition. Thankfully, his lead was large enough to overcome closing double bogey, double bogey on the final 2 holes. In the end, Andy Sulzer, won the Hogan flight by 2 strokes over Greg Duldulao.

The Senior Hogan flight played very closely and at one point seemed like no one wanted to step forward and claim the trophy. Craig Gallagher looked to have things in control shooting the lowest 9 hole score of the day, making the turn in 3-over 39. But it was not meant to be for Craig, as he finished his back nine with 3 bogeys, 3 double bogeys, and 1 triple bogey. Eventually Craig ended up finishing in 5th place overall. Jim Cummings was the next person poised to have a chance at winning the Waikele Classic outright, but then Jim also struggled heavily coming down the stretch. The only person really taking advantage of all the mistakes of the others was Lawrence Scott who finished the back nine with only 3 bogeys to tie Jim Cummings in the clubhouse. After 18 holes of competition, Jim and Lawrence needed a sudden playoff to determine the winner. Jim Cummings edged out Lawrence Scott.

The Sarazen flight wasn't as closely contested as the others, with Michael Nishikawa, taking the early lead in the first nine holes and he never looked back. Michael finished the tournament in 1st place, winning by a total of 6 strokes over Rey Garo and Edward Medeiros, both of whom were tied for 2nd place. 

In similar fashion, the Jones flight was another overwhelming victory by a young veteran, Joshua Poirier. Joshua led after the front nine, posting a front nine score of 5-over 41. His play continued to improve on the back nine as he shot a 4-over 40 to make a combined 9-over 81 for his round. The closest person to Joshua was Willie Brown who finished his round at 17-over 89, which was good enough for solo 2nd place. Rounding out the top three, was David Tilley and Daniel Chong, who both shot an 18-over 90 to finish in a tie for 3rd.

The Waikele Classic experienced difficulties involved with changing the venue on such short notice. All in all, the event was a huge success and and the Hawaii Tour would like to thank all of the participants for making this event so special. The Hawaii Tour would also like to thank its local sponsors Hawaii Water for providing all of the water. We would also like to thank the Makaha Resort Golf Course and their staff for giving us a great venue to play at.

Next up, the Hawaii Tour returns to Kapolei Golf Course for the 2011 Kapolei Classic on Saturday, May 7. Congratulatios to all of the winners at the Memorable Waikele Classic and a big thank you to all the Tour players that competed in the event!