Posted with permission, article and pictures, from Hawaii Pacific University
LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Hawai’i Pacific University won its first PacWest Conference Men’s Golf Championship led by sophomore Keita Okada who successfully defended his individual championship at the 2022 PacWest Conference Championship on Wednesday afternoon at the Wigwam Resort’s Gold Course.
Okada, a sophomore from Tokyo, Japan/Bradenton, Fla. IMG Academy, led the tournament wire-to-wire. Despite two bogeys in the final three holes for a two-over-par 74, Okada won the individual title by four strokes at 2-under 214 on the par 72, 6,964-yard Wigwam track. He was the only player to play below par for the 54-holes.
Afternoon winds helped the Sharks bleed away a lead on the back nine to post a 305 in the final round for an 899. Hawai’i Hilo, who played earlier in the day, recorded a daily low of 295 for an 899, and sent the event to a 10-man team playoff.
The Vulcans got a birdie from Andrew Otani on the par 5 1st hole that was used for the playoff in the first grouping of players, but the Sharks responded with the second group as Okada, senior Ryan Torres and junior Keli’i Kamelamela-Dudoit all carding birdies. The remaining players all had pars as HPU won the championship playoff 17-19 to hold off their neighbors from the Big Island.
Torres, from San Jose, Calif./Evergreen Valley, struggled down the stretch with a 7-over 79 on the day, but it was his birdie putt – the second for HPU in the playoff – that clinched the victory over the Vulcans. Torres finished tied for ninth at 10-over 229.
Kamelamela-Dudoit, of Ho’olehua, Hawai’i/Kamehameha-Kapalama, fired a 4-over 76 and made the first of the three birdie putts in the playoff, tied for 13th at 13-over 229.
Freshman Grant Garrison of Lake Tapps, Wash./Sumner shot his best round of the tournament when it was needed most, carding a 4-over 76 team counting score to finish with a 242. Senior Ray Kim of Aiea, Hawai’i/Moanalua added an 83 on Wednesday for a final 237.
Okada’s 2-under bested Holy Names Edvin Backstrom who finished second at 2-over 218 and UHH’s Otani and Dustin Franko who tied for third at 5-over 221.
Holy Names and Dominican finished in a tie for third at 903, with Academy of Art fifth at 917 and Chaminade sixth at 928.
With the tournament championship, HPU won the PacWest’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division II West/South Central Super Regional on May 5-7 at the Pueblo Country Club in Pubelo, Colo.
