Dalen Yamauchi had no answer for why other players’ scores soared during the final round of the Big Island Amateur. Yamauchi was only focused on his game, and with the way he was playing he had little to reason to worry about the competition.
The former UH-Hilo golfer fired a 2-under 70 on Sunday at Mauni Lani’s North Course, pulling away to win his second championship at the event.
“I struck the ball really well and managed to stay out of trouble,” Yamauchi said.
No one else at the top of the leaderboard could quite say the the same.
Yamauchi balanced five bogeys against seven birdies and finished seven shots ahead of defending champion Shon Katahira at 3-under 141. Only one other golfer, Dick Gillette in third, finished within 10 strokes of Yamauchi.
“There are some things I still need to work on, but I’ll take it,” Yamauchi said.
If Yamauchi should decide to turn pro after his final semester at UH-Hilo, then he’s given himself a good farewell tour this summer. He finished second at the Manoa Cup, the state’s amateur match play champion, and he’s the island’s amateur champion for the first time since 2010, when he was a Waiakea senior.
In some respects it was just another round of golf for Yamauchi and the rest of the members of his final foursome, Katahira, Shaun Downie and Clayton Amuro.
“I see those guys every day at (Hilo Muni),” Yamauchi said.
But he’s familiar with Mauna Lani thanks to his time with the Warriors and Vulcans, and he said the course conditions favorable.
Armed with a two-stroke lead on Katahira, a Waiakea junior, to begin the round, Yamauchi already owned a five-stroke lead after a birdie on No. 10.
“I still have to play golf and finish,” Yamauchi said. ‘Shon, he hits the ball really well.
“The group was a just bunch of nice guys. I just stayed consistent and kept it off the rocks.”
Katahira shot 75, losing two strokes off his opening-round score Saturday, while Amuro (74-81) and Downie (73-82) each slumped. Jeff Strang (74-79) did as well and wound up fifth, and two-time BIIF champion Trevor Hirata fired his second consecutive 75 to finish fourth.
Like Yamaguchi, Jim Schneider and Darryl Yagi each retained their leads, though neither fared as well as they had Saturday. Schneider (73-76) claimed the senior title and Yagi (69-75) won A flight.
