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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Thursday, April 5, 2007

Fujikawa to play in Japan tour, PGA events in '07

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Tadd Fujikawa

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Hawai'i's Tadd Fujikawa, golf's most intriguing player per inch this year, has accepted invitations to play two tour events in the next five months.

Fujikawa, a 5-foot-1 sophomore at Moanalua High School, is still finalizing his 2007 schedule. His options increased dramatically since the Sony Open in Hawai'i, where he became the youngest golfer in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut.

The 16-year-old will make his debut on Japan's pro tour at the Chunichi Crowns, April 26 to 29. It is one of the JGTO's most popular and long-running tournaments. In 1986, Hawai'i's David Ishii made it the second of his 14 Japan tour titles.

Fujikawa has also accepted an invitation to play the PGA Tour's Reno-Tahoe Open In August. The $3 million event, played at Montreux Golf and Country Club, has been searching for a title sponsor.

"We try to focus one exemption on an up-and-comer whose career can benefit from playing in a Tour event," Reno-Tahoe tournament director Jim Kline said. "(Tadd) can add to our tournament because people would love to see him, but it is more about forging his career than helping us."

Fujikawa earned Hawai'i's amateur slot in the Sony last December. The Rolex Junior second-team All-American then shot 5-under-par 275 to tie for 20th a month later, capturing the imagination of a huge gallery and international TV audience.

He already has his sights set on winning a tour event.

"PGA or Japan, anything," Fujikawa said. "Winning a professional event as an amateur at 16 or 17 is really big. Of course you want to win at the PGA Tour level, but just getting out there and competing against professionals is really good for you. You learn a lot."

In February, Fujikawa followed his Sony showing by becoming the youngest to win the Hawai'i Pearl Open over a field full of American and Japanese pros. He hit his approach shot on the final hole to within a foot and the ensuing birdie beat Hilo's Greg Meyer, who was in the top 50 on the Japan money list last year.

Last year, Fujikawa won Hawai'i's U.S. Open sectional qualifier to become the youngest player in Open history. He missed the cut by nine at Winged Foot.

In other golf news, a spokesman for Michelle Wie said she will probably not play in the LPGA's Ginn Open next week. There were reports Wie would make her 2007 LPGA debut at Ginn.

Wie, in her final semester at Punahou, has not played since the Sony Open. She is continuing to rehab her injured left wrist, hurt when she broke a fall the first week of February. Her recovery was initially expected to take four to six weeks.

She played the Sony Open with her right wrist wrapped after injuring it in October when she hit a shot off a cart path.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.