61st Hawaii State Amateur Championship
March 14-17, 2024, Leilehua Golf Course. 72 Holes
2024 Men's Open/Overall Champion Remington Hirano
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2024 Mid-Am Champion
Matthew Ma
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2024 Women's Open Champion
Kate Nakaoka
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History of the Hawaii State Amateur
The Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play Championship is the last 72-hole elite amateur tournament currently being conducted in Hawaii.
Its roots come from the Atherton Cup, which started in 1928. During this time, the championship was known as the Territory of Hawaii Amateur Medal-Play Championship and was held at Waialae Country Club. This championship brought together the finest amateur golfers in the territory of Hawaii and ran until 1949. There was no amateur stroke-play championship from 1950-1963. In 1964, Arthur “Babe” Carter inaugurated the first Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play Championship at Waialae Country Club, where it was played until 1986.
In 1984, the Hawaii State Golf Association (HSGA) was formed and gained
recognition from USGA as the representative body for amateur golf in
Hawaii and has since managed the Hawaii State Amateur
Stroke Play Championship.
In 1987, the tournament moved to Pearl Country Club to make it possible to accept more players. Since Waialae was a private club, the field for the tournament was limited and the change of venue allowed twice as many to compete. Today, the championship still resides at Pearl Country Club and showcases the top amateurs in the state as well as a few by special exemption from Japan.
All aspects of a player’s game are tested in a PGA Tour-like format of 72 holes with challenging conditions. Players in contention on the weekend will have to endure the pressure being crowned the Hawaii State Amateur Stroke Play Champion and having their name included among the great golfers of Hawaii.
Many past winners have gone on to tournament success nationally and internationally. These include Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame members:
Winner |
State Amateur
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Accomplishments |
Larry Stubblefied
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1972 & 1984 Winner
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PGA Tour member 1972-1975
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David Ishii
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1978 Winner
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14 wins on the Japan Golf Tour
1987 Japan Golf Tour money leader
1990 Hawaiian Open winner (PGA Tour Event)
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Guy Yamamoto
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1995 Winner
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1994 U.S. Amateur Public Links Champion
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Other Hawaii State Amateur winners and Hawaii Golf Hall of Fame members include:
Paul Spengler Jr. (1964, 1965), Allan Yamamoto (1966, 1970), Hung Soo Ahn (1967), Wendell Kop (1969, 1971), Al Souza (1973), Brandan Kop (1980.1996), and Dan Nishimoto (1981).
Multiple winners include: Damien Jamila (1990, 1991, 1992, 1998), Regan Lee (1997, 1999), Matt Kodama (2004, 2005), and rising college stars Lorens Chan (2009, 2011) and John Oda (2012, 2013).
*Information provided by/from: Hawaii State Golf Association (HSGA) archives, Waialae Country Club The First Half Century (Thomas Kemper Hitch and Mary Ishii Kuramoto), Historic Atherton Cup Revived for Amateurs (Monte Ito; Honolulu Advertiser staff writer), Missing Trophies on the Shelf (Monte Ito. Honolulu Advertiser staff writer)
Hawaii State Amateur Champions
Year
|
Winner
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Division
|
Tournament Score
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Results
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2023
|
Niall Shiels Donegan
Kyle Nakazaki
Craig Steinberg
Raya Nakao
Jeannie Pak
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Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women
|
209, 7-under par
215, 1-under par
213, 3-under par
212, 4-under par
230, 14-over par
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All Flights
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2022 |
Niall Shiels Donegan
Alexander Zannes
Craig Steinberg
Kara Kaneshiro
Young Hwa Kim |
Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women |
282, 6-under par
293, 5-over par
214, 2-under par
292, 4-over par
225, 9-over par |
All Flights |
2021 |
Spencer Dunaway
Keyan Riseling
Jonathan Ota
Kara Kaneshiro
Jeannie Pak |
Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women |
210, 6-under par
219, 6-over par
215, 1-under par
210, 6-under par
227, 11-over par |
All Flights |
2020 |
Isaiah Kanno
Andy Okita
Mike Kawate
Lacey Uchida
Mira Jang |
Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women |
286, 2-under par
286, 2-under par
214, 2-under par
299, 11-over par
232, 16-over par |
All Flights |
2019 |
Tyler Ota
Heikichi Katsuta
Jonathan Ota
Patricia Ehrhart |
Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open |
283, 5-under par
297, 9-over par
219, 4-over par
296, 8-over par |
All Flights |
2018
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Tyler Ota
Shawn Sakoda
Mike Kawate
Kyung Eun Lee
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Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
|
277, 11-under par
292, 4-over par
216, even par
306, 18 - over par
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All Flights
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2017
|
Jun Ho Won
Nick Ushijima
Mikio Shimura
Kyung Eun Lee
Mira Han
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Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women
|
275, 13-under par
295, 7-over par
214, 2-under par
313, 25-over par
243, 27-over par
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All Flights
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2016
|
Kyle Suppa
Kensuke Morinaka
Phillip Anamizu
Miki Manta
Mira Han
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Men's Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior Men
Women's Open
Senior Women
|
284, 4-under par
302, 14-over par
227, 11-over par
310, 22-over par
254, 38-over par
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All Flights
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2015 |
Shawn Lu
Kensuke Morinka
Mike Kawate
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Open (Overall)
Mid-Am
Senior
|
280, 8-under par
293, 5-over par
218, 2-over par
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All Flights
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2014 |
Kyle Suppa
Raymon Tendo
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Open (Overall)
Senior
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277, 11-under par
216, 2-under par
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All Flights
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2013 |
John Oda
David Hamada
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Open (Overall)
Senior
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269, 19-under par*
217, 1-over par
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All Flights
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2012 |
John Oda
Shigeru Matsui
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Open (Overall)
Senior
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283, 4-under par
226, 11-over par
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All Flights
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2011 |
Lorens Chan
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Open (Overall)
|
278, 10-under par
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All Flights
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2010 |
TJ Kua
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Open (Overall)
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283, 5-under par
|
Open
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2009 |
Lorens Chan
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Open (Overall)
|
206, 10-under par (54 holes)
|
Open
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2008 |
Travis Toyama
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Open (Overall)
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289, 1-over par
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Open
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2007 |
Chan Kim
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Open (Overall)
|
279, 9-under par
|
Open
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2006 |
Toru Nakajima
|
Open (Overall)
|
209, 6-under par (54 holes)
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Open
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2005 |
Matt Kodama
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Open (Overall)
|
289, 1-over par
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Open
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*Hawaii State Amateur 72 hole tournament scoring record (269,19-under par)
Click Here for list of past winners since 1964