The putts just weren't dropping for Dean Wilson.

"It was tough out there with the wind and the grain and I wasn't hitting it close," said the PGA Tour professional from Hawai'i.

But he sank the one that counted, rolling in an 18-foot eagle putt on the final hole to win the Prince Resorts/TaylorMade Hawai'i State Open by one stroke over Joe Phengsavath and John Lynch.

Wilson finished with an even-par 72 for a 54-hole total of 207 as winds finally picked up after two relatively calm days at the Hawai'i Prince Golf Club.

Home to spend Thanksgiving with his family, Wilson said at first he was reluctant to play in the local state open.

"In Utah, they frown on tour players in their state open," said Wilson, who lived there before moving to Las Vegas.

"In Hawai'i, I had nothing but positives for playing," he said. "I had a good time. It was fun for me. The state open's always one I wanted to win. So it's nice to finally have a chance to win it."

During the awards ceremony, Wilson said: "If you don't mind, I'd like to keep this trophy, but I'd like to donate this money (his winning $7,500 check) to the Oahu Junior Golf Association. I'd have to rethink it, though, if I have to compete with another 6-foot junior golfer."

He was referring to Bradley Shigezawa, a Punahou School sophomore, who finished fourth at 210 to earn low-amateur honors.

Wilson described Shigezawa's play as "awesome," adding, "he played great. I don't know what it is about Hawai'i producing these 16-year-old kids that keep playing well."

Told that Shigezawa is still only 15, Wilson could only shake his head and remark, "Holy cow."

There's no reason why the talented youngster couldn't have won, according to Wilson.

Playing with Phengsavath and Shigezawa in the final group, Wilson started the day at 9-under. Phengsavath was one back and Shigezawa three behind.

"The wind was really whipping. We all had our moments when we played really bad," Wilson said about the front side played on the B Course, the most challenging of Hawai'i Prince's three 9-hole layouts.

Phengsavath four-putted the first hole for a double-bogey 6 and was almost at a loss for words, a rarity for him. Wilson bogeyed Nos. 7, 8 and 9 and found himself in third place at the turn.

Shigezawa actually took the lead by going 10-under after birdieing the third and fifth holes and eagling the par-5 sixth.

But he bogeyed No. 8 and double-bogeyed No. 9, when he pushed his tee shot out of bounds to the right. Any hopes of winning were gone when he took a double at the 11th hole (C2) after he drove into the water and three-putted the 14th for bogey.

"It was a great experience, playing with a PGA Tour professional," Shigezawa said. "It was real fun today."

Phengsavath had his troubles right from the start, four-putting from 20 feet at the opening hole.

"That four-putt's gonna kill me," Phengsavath said throughout his round. But he fought back to share the lead at 7-under with Wilson and Lynch, who was playing in the group ahead.

After bogeying the 10th hole, Lynch birdied No. 11, sank a 30-footer for birdie at No. 13 and two-putted for birdie at the par-5 15th. He also had an eagle putt at the closing 501-yard par-5 but tapped in for birdie instead.

"I knew I had to make eagle," said Lynch, who finished at 8-under with a closing 70.

Wilson knew it, too. And he did.

OPEN NOTES: Larry Stubblefield shot a 71—217 to win the senior division by one stroke over Leland Lindsay. ... Cyd Okino's second-straight 72 gave her a 220 total and a six-shot victory over Nicole Sakamoto in a successful defense of her women's title. But a three-peat is unlikely. "I know, I heard," said the Punahou ninth-grader when told there probably won't be a women's division in next year's Hawai'i State Open. There were only five players in this year's field. ... "Ridiculous," Wilson said about some of Shigezawa's drives. In particular, his 346-yard tee shot into the wind at the par-4 17th hole (C8) and the one at the 501-yard downwind 18th when the youngster had 125 to the flagstick for his second shot. ... Congratulations to Joy and Mikel Kunishima for their baby daughter, Makayla, who was born Saturday. Joy is office manager for the Aloha Section PGA.