09 May Girls HHSAA 2013 David S. Ishii Foundation Golf Championship at Kaanapali Golf Courses

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Punahou Girls Earn State Trophy, with Freshman Mariel Galdiano taking Individual Title in HHSAA 2013 David S. Ishii Foundation Golf Championship at Kaanapali Golf Courses

Lahaina, Maui, HI – Punahou Freshman Mariel Galdiano helped lead the Punahou Girls Golf team to victory today at Kaanapali Golf Courses as well as taking the Individual Title. With the winds changing from konas to trades, the girls had to be on top of their game this week playing the championship Royal Course and Galdiano was able to score under par both days 68-69 (137).

Galdiano has a proven track record at Kaanapali where last May she won her age division in the Junior World Qualifier, in June she won the Junior PGA Championship for the Girls 13-18 Division, and she won the Kaanapali HSJGA Match Play Championship in 2011. “I was swinging well today – I feel really comfortable on this course – I enjoy playing here at Kaanapali,” Galdiano stated after her final round today. She continued, “It’s a good course – tough, but set up well.” Galdiano when asked about being a scoring leader for her team commented, “It feels pretty good – I try not to put too much pressure on myself – I just want to get out and play good and stick to my game.”

Ciera Min, a Senior at Waiakea came in second place with 72-72 (144) for the tournament. Min commented about this week’s event, “This was an awesome event – what a good way to end my last year of playing high school golf.” As for golfing conditions, Min added, “Everyone struggled a bit over the last two days with tough conditions but Mariel really had an awesome two rounds so she earned the win!” She continued, “Yesterday, I just wanted to put up a good score but then today, I felt like I was putting pressure on myself – my friends kept saying ‘Sarah, you need to relax, just go out and play.’” The Waiakea team came in second place this year for States. Min will play at Gonzaga University next fall.

The Punahou team was back for revenge this year after coming in second place to Iolani in 2012, breaking a 5-year streak in Girls State Golf Titles. Team Captain and Senior, Kacie Komoto (2012 State Individual Champion) commented on the team, “We knew we had a strong team with four really good freshmen but we didn’t want any expectations getting in the way of our game – we just wanted to go out and play our best.” Kacie Komoto added, “The greens were tough this week – yesterday we had a tough time with them, but today we all played a little better.”

Komoto continued, “What’s really nice about our team is how different we all are in our personalities and our golf game – this is a group that probably normally wouldn’t hang out together if golf wasn’t our common ground, but we’re all able to come together and play off each others strengths on the course and have a lot of fun together off the course”. Ed Kageyama, Coach of the Girls Team and Golf Program Director at Punahou stated, “The girls played well this week – they worked well as a team and were able to encourage each other out there, bringing out the best in each of them.” With such a young team, we’ll expect a few more years of great competition from this Punahou team.

Click here for a full list of individual results. Click here for team results.

HISTORY OF THE DAVID S. ISHII FOUNDATION:

In 1996, after 40 years of state Department of Education sponsorship, the Hawaii High School Athletic Association (HHSAA) became a private, non-profit corporation. State money, the bulk of the association’s funding up to that point, was cut to zero. Private sponsors were needed to underwrite the cost of staging both the boys and girls state golf championships.

This potentially dire situation did not escape the notice of Hawaii Hall of Fame golfer David S. Ishii. David – himself the 1973 state champion from Kauai High School – stepped up and committed his own funds to serve as the title sponsor of the event in 1997 and continued to personally sponsor the event for several more years.

Encouraged by his wife Lorraine and assisted by his many friends, David laid the groundwork to establish a foundation that would ensure support for the HHSAA tournament in perpetuity. Beyond that, he envisioned a foundation that could also offer college scholarships, sponsor clinics, and provide learning opportunities for Hawaii’s youth using golf as a means of imparting important life lessons.

The David S. Ishii Foundation was officially founded in 1999 and has more than fulfilled the vision that its founder held for it. Today, the Foundation sponsors the annual HHSAA State Golf Championships for both boys and girls, awards two $4,000 college scholarships to graduating seniors each year, offers travel stipends to the Boys U.S. Junior Amateur and presents workshops and clinics.

For more information about the foundation, visit www.davidsishiifoundation.org

ABOUT KAANAPALI GOLF COURSES:

The Royal Kaanapali Course, a Robert Trent Jones Senior design, opened in 1962 and has tested the skills of golf professionals and amateurs alike. A Par 71 stretching 6700 yards, the Royal Course combines wide fairways and undulating greens, making it both distinctive and demanding. Home of the Champions Tour Kaanapali Classic for 14 years, the Royal Kaanapali Course also hosted Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the Canada Cup and LPGA Kemper Open, donning such golfing greats as Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Jan Stephenson and Betsey King.

The Kaanapali Kai Course is a Par 70, 6,400-yard course and boasts an array of strategically placed bunkers, contoured fairways, and re-shaped and resurfaced greens. This course, host of Golf Channel’s #1 series Big Break Kaanapali, is a challenge to play and places a premium on strategy off the tee, accuracy with approach shots, and a deft touch around the greens.

In 2005-2007, Kaanapali Golf Courses invested over $13 million in renovations and infrastructure. Golf course architect, Robin Nelson, was brought in to oversee the rework of the Ka’anapali Kai Course and enhancements to the championship Royal Ka’anapali Course. Kaanapali recently celebrated 50 years (1962-2012) and was host of the Champions Tour SKIN GAME January 2008-2011.

For more information about Kaanapali Golf Courses visit www.kaanapaligolfcourses.com or call (808) 661-3691.
Twitter @KaanapaliResort and Facebook.com

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