Travis Toyama and Ryan Perez won the Manoa Cup — the state's most grueling golf championship — before they even got to the University of Hawai'i four years ago. It didn't stop them from getting an advanced degree in golf education.

The Rainbow Warrior seniors both plan to graduate next year, but their eligibility could end at the 47th annual Western Athletic Conference Championship, which starts tomorrow at Cinnabar Hills Golf Course in San Jose, Calif. The 'Bows, ranked 182nd in this week's GolfWeek/Sagarin Performance Index, have to win the WAC to reach the NCAA Regionals and extend their season.

So far it has not been the senior season Toyama or Perez envisioned when both came in holding the most treasured title in Hawai'i amateur golf. But a year ago, the Rainbows came raging out of the Sierras in the final round at Reno to seize the lead on the final day, only to lose by a single stroke to Nevada.

That heartbreaking memory remains vivid, and serves as inspiration. Tenth-year coach Ronn Miyashiro senses the same "all-or-nothing" mentality that went into last year's amazing final-round rally, which gave Hawai'i its best finish in history.

Despite its erratic nature in a year where its best finish is 13th, Hawai'i also has found comfort in the fact that it has beaten every WAC team but one this season. While Boise State senior Troy Merritt has proved to be the WAC's best player by far — he led the country in stroke average at one point and has five wins — no conference team has been dominant; New Mexico State is ranked highest at 86th.

"If we show up all three days, throw all our chips on the table ...," Miyashiro said. "Can we do it? I think we can."

It is the same mindset Toyama came into college golf with, after becoming the youngest Manoa Cup champion in history in 2002 (he won again three years ago) and graduating from University Lab School. Perez, a Moanalua graduate, captured the state's amateur match-play championship in 2004 and, while he admits to being "pumped up" after winning a Cup that will celebrate its 100th year this June, he was not quite as confident.

"When I first came here I was always asking Travis, 'What are you thinking on the golf course?' " recalled the analytical Perez, who has earned WAC All-Academic honors with a 3.15 grade-point-average in psychology. "He was like, 'I don't think about anything.' Man, it's impossible to not think. I've been with a sports psychologist for four years and it's really helped. It's all about discipline."

Perez has come to be comfortable clearing his mind and allowing all the college golf knowledge to seep in. Toyama has come to learn the difference between golf in paradise and golf in the real world, and with a team depending on your every swing.

"Here, most places you can grip it and rip it," said Toyama, who also won the State Amateur Stroke Play last month. "There's not too much rough. You have wedges to a lot of holes. The biggest thing here is wind. You go to the Mainland, you've got to stay in the fairway. It doesn't matter if you have a 7-iron or wedge, you want to be in the fairway."

And the team aspect? "It doesn't give you the free will to take as many chances," said Toyama, remembering all too well that one shot — among some 860 shots — that cost UH a WAC title one year ago. "You don't want to go to extremes because if you screw up, you're screwing up other people."

As their four years fade, Toyama and Perez have both realized precisely how hard it is to win in college, and how far they have to go in the game, which both plan to pursue after graduation. College tournaments might not force them to play at a high level for six days while trudging up Nu'uanu Valley, but the quantity and quality of college competition is such that a "bad day" is not an option. Often a bad hole is too much to overcome.

They know now what to expect: The competition is immensely talented and will only get better as they go on.

Toyama, the little guy with a natural gift for the game, has Hawai'i's lowest stroke average this season (74.13), but his best finish is only 14th. Last year he averaged a UH-best 72.5, finished fifth in the WAC Championship and was named all-WAC second team, and still was a stroke away from the NCAA Tournament

Perez has been the team's top finisher three times this season, but is almost 75 strokes a round. His best finish is 24th.

Kyle Walters, a junior college transfer from Arizona and the team's final senior, has been Hawai'i's top finisher in three of the last five events.

None of it has been enough to make Manoa a challenger. But after following the Rainbow Wahine's surprising run at their WAC Tournament last week, the UH men realize the opportunity for success is there. In golf, as much as any sport, anything is possible, even if it does make you crazy.

"That's the beauty of it," Perez said. "It wouldn't be fun if you just won everything. You'd be bored. Golf does drive you crazy, but that's what makes it fun."

NOTES

Kamehameha's TJ Kua and Kamehameha-Hawai'i's Pono Calip, two of the state's finest juniors, have both committed to play for UH next year.