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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, January 15, 2010

Wilson, Hayashi make cut; Fujikawa, McLachlin miss out



Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Ryan Palmer waves to fans after sinking in a birdie on the 18th. He is the leader at 9-under afer two rounds of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Dean Wilson studies his putt on the fifth hole. Wilson shot a 3-under 67 and is 2-under for the tournament.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

TJ Kua, who had the best round Thursday among Hawaii's six golfers in the Sony, experienced more difficulty in the second round. Here, he blasts out of the sandtrap on the 13th.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Kevin Hayashi wipes down his clubs this morning before practice. Later, he shot a 3-under 67 and is 1-over for tournament.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Nick Mason hits out of the trap on the 18th and still managed a birdie.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

The beginning of the end for Tadd Fujikawa came in the par-5 ninth hole, which he double bogeyed. Fujikawa's drive ended up in the canal. Here, he hits from the edge of the canal to try to get to the fairway.

GREGORY YAMAMOTO | The Honolulu Advertiser

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Long-time pros, Dean Wilson and Kevin Hayashi, broke a streak of missed cuts at the Sony Open in Hawaii today.

Wilson, who turned pro in 1992, shot a 3-under 67 for a two-round total of 2-under 138, under the cut of 1 over.

Hayashi, a pro since 1987 who has missed all eight of his previous Sony Open cuts, also shot a 67 for a two-round total of 1-over 141.

The four-day tournament at Waialae Country Club featured Hawaii golfers Tadd Fujikawa, Parker McLachlin, Nick Mason, TJ Kua, as well as Wilson and Hayashi.

Ryan Palmer shot a 4-under 66 for a two-round total of 9-under 131 and a one shot lead over Robert Allenby (67), Chad Campbell (64) and defending champion Zach Johnson (67), whose round included a triple-bogey 6 on the par-3 17th.

Steve Stricker (67), John Merrick (68) and Jeff Quinney (67) are at 7-under 133.

Here are the scores of the Hawaii golfers (par is 70-70—140):

Dean Wilson 71-67—138

Kevin Hayashi 74-67—141

TJ Kua 69-74—143

Nick Mason 71-72—143

Parker McLachlin 72-72—144

Tadd Fujikawa 72-75—147

Hawaii golfers recap:

DEAN WILSON SHOOTS 67

The bad streak is over for the former Kaneohe resident and Castle High alum.

The long-time pro who has one PGA Tour victory in his career shot 3-under 67 Friday and finished at 2-under 138 for the tournament (cut was at 1 over).

Wilson has had an unsuccessful run at Sony, missing the cut the past four years and six of the past seven years.

He made the cut in 2005 but finished 76th.

His highest finish was a tie for 23rd in 2002, his first year playing Sony.

Wilson, who shot 1-over 71 Thursday, had three birdies and two bogeys to make the turn at 1-under 34.

He then birdied No. 10, bogeyed 13 and birdied Nos. 14 and 15. He parred the rest of the way, coming in at 2-under 33.

TJ KUA SHOOTS 74

Things looked promising for the first 27 holes for the Kamehameha Schools alum and University of Hawaii sophomore from Kauai who had the best first-round score (1-under 69) among Hawaii's golfers.

But a four-hole stretch on his second nine doomed Kua's chances.

The lone amateur in the field shot a 4-over 74 Friday and finished with a 3-over total of 143.

Kua started on the back nine and bogeyed Nos. 12 and 15 before carding a birdie on No. 17 to make the turn at 1-over 36.

He parred the first three holes before his disatrous stretch.

He bogeyed No. 4, double-bogeyed No. 6 and bogeyed No. 7.

Kua closed his first Sony experience with a birdie on No. 9 (his 18th).

TADD FUJIKAWA SHOOTS 75

The 19-year-old Moanalua High alum, who became the youngest in 50 years to make a tour cut in 2007 and shot a 62 to briefly grab the lead in the third round in 2009, won't be performing his magic act this weekend.

The 5-foot-2 Fujikawa, who shot an opening-round 2-over 72 Thursday, shot a 5-over 75 for a two-round total of 7-over 147.

Fujikawa was in decent position, playing the first eight holes in 1 under.

But it all came to pieces starting with hole No. 9, which immediately followed his chip-in birdie.

But on the 506-yard par 5 No. 9, Fujikawa hit far right into the water and had to take a penalty stroke. His next shot hit a coconut tree and traveled nine yards. His fourth shot traveled 39 yards, leaving him 207 yards to the hole. His fifth shot landed on the green, from where he two-putted for a seven.

After that, it got worse. He would play holes 12 through 16 in 6-over par, recording bogey, bogey, double bogey, bogey, bogey.

He birdied the par-3 No. 17 and managed a smile.

He closed his round with another birdie on the par-5 18th.

In the early going, Fujikawa was poised for another run.

He birdied the first hole but gave back a shot with a bogey on No. 5. He then chipped in from just off the green for a birdie on No. 8.

PARKER MCLACHLIN SHOOTS 72

The Punahou alum and former Honolulu resident could not overcome his brief back-nine blowup en route to a 2-over-par 72 for a two-round score of 4-over 144.

McLachlin, who shot a 2-over 72 Thursday, started on the back and played it even par with two bogeys followed by birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

But the start of his back nine was what scuttled McLachlin's chances.

He bogeyed No. 1 and double-bogeyed on No. 2, putting him 3-over for the day.

But McLachlin, who has a two-year exemption after winning a PGA Tour event in 2008, rallied with birdies No. 5 and No. 7 but bogeyed No. 9 to finish 35-37—72.

KEVIN HAYASHI SHOOTS 67

"Uncle Kevin" is in.

The Aloha Section Stroke Play champion, who shot a 4-over 74 Thursday, was at his steady best in the second round, shooting a 3-under 67 for a two-round total of 1-over 141.

Hayashi, who has missed the Sony cut in all previous eight attempts, birdied the 18th to cap a round of three birdies and 15 pars.

He recorded pars on the first seven holes before carding a birdie on No. 8 and made the turn at 1-under 34.

He had four more pars before a birdie on No. 14 and another on No. 18 for a closing nine of 2-under 33.

He was referred to as "uncle Kevin" by Michelle Wie, when the two played in the same group during her historic run at making a PGA cut when she was 14 in 2004. She missed the cut by a shot despite shooting 72-68 for an even-par 140.

NICK MASON SHOOTS 72

The University of Hawaii-Hilo alum, who shot 1-over 71 Thursday, made a nice rally to shoot a 2-over 72 in the second round to finish at 3-over 143.

Starting on the back nine, Mason opened with pars but bogeyed hole No. 12 but birdied No. 18 to make the turn at even-par 35.

He ran into trouble in his second nine, with two bogeys and a double bogey on holes Nos. 2, 3, 4.

After three pars, Mason closed with successive birdies on Nos. 8 and 9.