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No matter who wins the Manoa Cup trophy today, there are sure to be plenty of admirers visiting the trophy case to see the new name etched into immortality.
Ryan Takeshita beat Ka’ena Kaulia and Derek Chinen overcame Sam Rodriguez in the semifinals of the Manoa Cup on Friday to reach today’s 36-hole final beginning at 7 a.m. at Oahu Country Club.
Both finalists won 1-up on the 18th hole and have plenty to talk about with their loved ones before gearing up for another grueling trip around the course. As much as they want their names on the historic trophy, they want it more for those who got them here.
“It means a lot because my grandpa cares a lot about this tournament and he’s 89,” Chinen said. “I knew for sure coming in that this was going to be my last Manoa Cup, so I wanted to make it count for him.”
Like Chinen, Takeshita is driven by his family. He moved away when he was a baby, but his grandmother lives 10 minutes from the course.
“It’s always been special, my dad’s always talked about it and my uncle always talked about it,” Takeshita said.
Takeshita only had to play 14 holes in the morning quarterfinals to beat Maximus Waki but needed everything he had to top Kaulia. Kaulia, a Kamehameha kid who hadn’t played in the event in seven years because he left to follow his golf dream on the continent, put Takeshita three down at the turn with a scorching 32. Takeshita got it all back and took the lead on 13 when Kaulia grimaced and grabbed his shoulder from an old basketball injury while making his tee shot. He suffered the same pain on 14 but recovered enough to square the match with a birdie 3 on 15.
“It comes with the territory with all of the holes we play,” Kaulia said. “I felt fine until my shoulder popped out, but that’s just how it goes. No excuses, no matter what the circumstances you have to give it your all.”
By the time they walked onto the 18th tee, Takeshita needed only to tie the hole to win the match. He pulled an iron and put his tee shot in the fairway 100 yards from the green and Kaulia selected driver and aimed for the 15th green on the left hoping it would fade. It didn’t, but it did soar over the trees and come to rest in the rough in front of the wrong green. After their approaches, their balls were within a foot of each other on the green 40 feet from the hole. Kaulia tapped in after his lag to leave Takeshita 5 feet for the win. He backed off twice when the wind gusted and then drained it to punch his ticket to the final.
“It was pretty stressful with the wind and stuff, I am just happy it went in,” Takeshita said.
Veterans Chinen and Rodriguez needed playoffs in the morning to reach the semis, with Chinen beating Taylor George in 19 holes and the 40-year-old Rodriguez getting a birdie on his 2oth to take care of Punahou’s Jordan Takai.
Chinen jumped on Rodriguez from the beginning by earning a birdie on four of his first five holes — his only par came after a missed 3-foot putt — to go up four. Rodriguez fought back and tied it on the 15th after the long climb up the hill that left both players feeling the pain. Chinen said his arms felt like “jelly, like I was surfing for four or five hours” and Rodriguez admitted that his back “is not feeling great.”
Rodriguez has won 10 times in this tournament, six of them before 2010, and Chinen has won nine times, so they knew what they were in for. They were all square on the 18th hole when Chinen launched a driver that settled in the right rough and earned him relief while Rodriguez was 38 yards from the hole. But his 157th shot of the long day sailed a little bit long and his 25-foot putt missed by an inch. Chinen stepped up and buried his 6 footer and shook the trees with a loud “Finally! Let’s Go! Manoa Cup Final!”
While Rodriguez has been in the golf industry forever, Chinen had never broken par until six years ago. He attended UH after graduating from Castle but didn’t play golf there. Today’s final is set up as the local indoor grinder against the Weber State sophomore who finished in the top 15 in his first collegiate tournament. Takeshita shot a 68 in the semis to Chinen’s 74. They both shot 70 in qualifying, when they didn’t have to walk.
“During COVID when all we could do was surf and golf, I got hooked,” Chinen said. “Ever since then I have been practicing at Sports Box. It’s an indoor golf and sports simulator and helps me get dialed and it is a good place to practice at. I’m just happy it got me within 36 holes of being Manoa Cup champion.”
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Ryan Takeshita beat Ka’ena Kaulia and Derek Chinen overcame Sam Rodriguez in the semifinals of the Manoa Cup on Friday to reach today’s 36-hole final beginning at 7 a.m. at Oahu Country Club.
Both finalists won 1-up on the 18th hole and have plenty to talk about with their loved ones before gearing up for another grueling trip around the course. As much as they want their names on the historic trophy, they want it more for those who got them here.
“It means a lot because my grandpa cares a lot about this tournament and he’s 89,” Chinen said. “I knew for sure coming in that this was going to be my last Manoa Cup, so I wanted to make it count for him.”
Like Chinen, Takeshita is driven by his family. He moved away when he was a baby, but his grandmother lives 10 minutes from the course.
“It’s always been special, my dad’s always talked about it and my uncle always talked about it,” Takeshita said.
Takeshita only had to play 14 holes in the morning quarterfinals to beat Maximus Waki but needed everything he had to top Kaulia. Kaulia, a Kamehameha kid who hadn’t played in the event in seven years because he left to follow his golf dream on the continent, put Takeshita three down at the turn with a scorching 32. Takeshita got it all back and took the lead on 13 when Kaulia grimaced and grabbed his shoulder from an old basketball injury while making his tee shot. He suffered the same pain on 14 but recovered enough to square the match with a birdie 3 on 15.
“It comes with the territory with all of the holes we play,” Kaulia said. “I felt fine until my shoulder popped out, but that’s just how it goes. No excuses, no matter what the circumstances you have to give it your all.”
By the time they walked onto the 18th tee, Takeshita needed only to tie the hole to win the match. He pulled an iron and put his tee shot in the fairway 100 yards from the green and Kaulia selected driver and aimed for the 15th green on the left hoping it would fade. It didn’t, but it did soar over the trees and come to rest in the rough in front of the wrong green. After their approaches, their balls were within a foot of each other on the green 40 feet from the hole. Kaulia tapped in after his lag to leave Takeshita 5 feet for the win. He backed off twice when the wind gusted and then drained it to punch his ticket to the final.
“It was pretty stressful with the wind and stuff, I am just happy it went in,” Takeshita said.
Veterans Chinen and Rodriguez needed playoffs in the morning to reach the semis, with Chinen beating Taylor George in 19 holes and the 40-year-old Rodriguez getting a birdie on his 2oth to take care of Punahou’s Jordan Takai.
Chinen jumped on Rodriguez from the beginning by earning a birdie on four of his first five holes — his only par came after a missed 3-foot putt — to go up four. Rodriguez fought back and tied it on the 15th after the long climb up the hill that left both players feeling the pain. Chinen said his arms felt like “jelly, like I was surfing for four or five hours” and Rodriguez admitted that his back “is not feeling great.”
Rodriguez has won 10 times in this tournament, six of them before 2010, and Chinen has won nine times, so they knew what they were in for. They were all square on the 18th hole when Chinen launched a driver that settled in the right rough and earned him relief while Rodriguez was 38 yards from the hole. But his 157th shot of the long day sailed a little bit long and his 25-foot putt missed by an inch. Chinen stepped up and buried his 6 footer and shook the trees with a loud “Finally! Let’s Go! Manoa Cup Final!”
While Rodriguez has been in the golf industry forever, Chinen had never broken par until six years ago. He attended UH after graduating from Castle but didn’t play golf there. Today’s final is set up as the local indoor grinder against the Weber State sophomore who finished in the top 15 in his first collegiate tournament. Takeshita shot a 68 in the semis to Chinen’s 74. They both shot 70 in qualifying, when they didn’t have to walk.
“During COVID when all we could do was surf and golf, I got hooked,” Chinen said. “Ever since then I have been practicing at Sports Box. It’s an indoor golf and sports simulator and helps me get dialed and it is a good place to practice at. I’m just happy it got me within 36 holes of being Manoa Cup champion.”
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