Mason wins Hilo Invitational

By LEE HARDY

Special to the Tribune-Herald

With weather that usually curbs outdoor activities, contestants in the Hilo Invitational were forced to play a soggy Hilo Municipal Golf Course over the weekend.

As persistent rain fell over Hilo, tournament officials were forced to shorten the championship for the first time in 15 years. All 111 golfers teed off early Sunday morning and nearly 8 1/2 hours later, the champions were crowned. Yes, 8-plus hours.

After scores were tallied up through regulation play, there was a three-way tie in the professional division as well as a tie for the amateur title. Professionals Jarett Hamamoto, Nick Mason and Ryan Michimoto all tied with 2-under 69s while Matt Ma and Ciera Min finished with 1-under par 70s.

In the playoff, Mason, a three-time winner of the Hilo Invitational, needed two extra holes to claim his fourth title. With Michimoto, a professional from Kapalua Plantation Course failing to make birdie, the two former champions moved on to the par-three 2nd.

“It’s so hard when you are playing against your friend,” Mason said. “I’ve known JT for so long. When you get into these situations, it’s so tough, especially he being so nice and all.”

A par putt that barely slipped in on Hamamoto’s part was the difference as Mason now adds the 2012 title to his collection of Hilo Invitational championships.

Mason will receive $5,000 with the win out of the $15,000 professional purse. In his acceptance speech, Mason generously donated a portion of his winnings back to the Big Island Junior Golf Association.

The amateur playoff between Oahu’s Ma and Hilo’s Min was anything but ordinary. Both golfers ended their rounds with 1-under 70s. And both needed a record six playoff holes to decide a winner, which beat the current playoff record back in 1998. That was the inaugural Hilo Invitational which was won by professional David Ishii. It took Ishii five extra holes to dispatch of former Waiakea High School standout Mike Pavao.

The match-up between Ma and Min “seemed like David and Goliath,” Ma said. “I am not known for my accuracy off the tee.”

He is known for the length in his drives.

On the first extra hole, Ma was immediately being pressured by Min.

“I bombed a drive out there and only had 195 yards on the par-5. She (Min) lays up short of the ditch and pitches it to 15 feet.”

Ma hit a 6-iron that missed the green but hit a decent chip to a few feet. That is when Min drained her 15-footer for birdie and the challenge was on.

After routine pars on the second and third holes, Ma certainly looked to be in the driver’s seat with only a 118 yards left on his second shot. With a gap wedge in his hand and Min swinging a fairway wood, he liked his chances-until he missed the green on the short side and Min chipped it to 3 feet to save par.

“The long ball is definitely overrated,” Ma said. “Ciera has really gotten better. I golfed with her two or three years ago and she is much stronger and sharper with her short game. And she is accurate off the tee.”

Min really put the hammer down on the par-four 5th hole. After Ma boomed a drive, he was only left with 79 yards to the green. Min played first and stuffed it in there really close. “I think she hit it to like seven or eight feet,” Ma said. “I was shooting the flag to see how close she was and boy — she was close.”

Ma answered with a gem of his own as the former Oregon Duck stuck one just inside Min’s approach. But Min’s putting was solid as she nailed the birdie, forcing Ma to dig deep.

“I swear, as soon as she made that putt, my 6-footer turned into a 15-footer. I mean she had the honors from the start of the playoff and she kept hitting quality shots,” he said.

But the long ball would finally deliver as Ma was left with a 3 iron for his second shot on the par-five. After laying up on her second shot, Min hit her third and fourth shots a little heavy and that’s all Ma needed to seal the deal.

“Ciera is on the right track,” Ma said. “If she keeps doing what she is doing, she will do fine. Keep working hard on your game because golf is very tough.

“It is great to see how women’s golf is taking off. It is a testament of how far the junior golf program has come, especially here in Hilo. It is such a strong program.”

With the win, Ma will pocket $750 from the $4,300 amateur purse.

Both champions spoke of how winning in challenging conditions have been a big part in their success and other golfers can actually learn from that.

“I have played here in Hilo in rain and played across the nation in some nasty weather,” Mason said. “You learn to keep your focus and deal with it. Coming to Hilo is always special. The weather can get like this and you need to be mentally prepared for it.”

Ma echoed the same sentiments.

“When I was in Oregon, I played in weather like this all the time-except it was colder,” he said. “If there is anything I learned from playing in college, you have no idea what it’s like to have a second dry towel when you’re soaked.”

And in the soggy conditions on Sunday at Hilo Muni, both champions not only used extra towels, but they also needed to lift their games to championship form to fight off strong challenges.

In this case, Mason and Ma proved that good golf can win a tournament title regardless of the weather, sloppy conditions or inspired opponents who can bring out the best in you.