As the full moon rose over Ala Wai Golf Course last night, the 26th Mayor's Cup ended unlike any of the previous 25.

At least, as far as anyone could remember. Or see.

It turned out to have something for everyone, including the bats. The Mayor's Cup concluded in the dark, with the headlights of three cars and a cart shining on the 18th green.

The final foursome, forced into what they called "Bagger Vance" golf by a record field of 232 entries and slow play, turned out to have three champions.

Norman Inouye, a 60-year-old contractor who plays Ala Wai every weekend, shared the championship with Shannon Tanoue, a 27-year-old who "grew up" on Ala Wai, and Troy Higashima, the 2003 state high school champion who now attends Leeward Community College.

The final hectic moments, played out in surreal golf conditions, were the payoff for a day that began at 6:15 a.m. and ended nearly 13 hours later.

Long after 13-year-old Hayley Young won the Ladies Flight, closing with a 1-over-par 71 to finish at 146, Inouye, Tanoue and Higashiyama were on the 18th tee in total darkness.

Inouye had a two-shot advantage after draining his fifth birdie putt, on the 16th hole.

"It's better for me when I can't see what I'm doing," he joked as he headed for the 17th, which was still visible, barely.

Straight off the tee and extremely accurate with his cross-handed putting, he slid past first-round leaders Tanoue and Higashiyama by playing the first 17 holes in 1-under.

But he hooked his drive on the final hole. Somehow, Tanoue found it for him. Somehow, Inouye punched it out of the rubbish and over the canal. Somehow, someone found it over by the 10th tee.

Inouye chipped it around the trees to the back of the 18th green, chipped on and two-putted for double bogey to close with a 71.

Tanoue and Higashiyama, wild off the tee all day, suddenly started hitting it straight in the dark. "For me, it helped," said Higashiyama, "because I had to start thinking more."

His second shot came up just short of the green and Tanoue's found the front bunker. He left his first shot in the bunker. Disgusted, he took another swipe and sent the ball straight into the hole for par.

"The first one I could see because the cart came to light it up," Tanoue said. "I just hit a bad shot. The next one, I wasn't even thinking, I was mad, thinking just get it out."

Higashiyama, who couldn't see the feat from 15 feet away, took a longer look at his chip shot, knowing he needed to get up and down for a tie. He nearly chipped it in for birdie, settling for a tap-in to create the tri-championship.

The Cup has had co-champions in the past but never three. A playoff today was not possible on the world's busiest course.

Higashiyama and Tanoue closed with 72s, on a windy day when the final group teed off almost an hour late because some players only got through 14 holes Saturday and had to finish yesterday morning.

The final group made the turn at 5 p.m. Higashiyama was barely hanging on by then. After chipping in for eagle on the third — he also eagled the 14th Saturday, holing his second shot after hooking his drive near the 15th green — he bogeyed Nos. 7, 8 and 9. Higashiyama stayed in contention by playing the back in 1-over.

Tanoue was in salvage mode all day, saving par and sneaking in birdies with a spectacular short game and a little luck.

He needed just 15 putts on the final 11 holes. Tanoue also took advantage of an extremely fortunate bounce to birdie the 10th. His second shot faded into a tree by the 11th tee and hit a caddy on the back of the head.

The caddy was stunned, but fine, and the ball bounced dead left just in front of the green. Tanoue chipped to inches then came to the 11th tee still shaken by the frightening possibilities.

"That's a break I wish I didn't get," he said.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.