When the 30th annual Hawai'i Pearl Open tees off Friday, it will have more than its share of stories, but probably none quite as compelling as a foursome from the four corners of the golf world.

Ryo Ishikawa, the 16-year-old responsible for the spike in TV ratings for the Japan Golf Tour Organization, is paired with Hawai'i's Greg Meyer and Bradley Shigezawa, and Billy Hurley, a lieutenant in the U.S. Navy who is playing on a sponsor's exemption.

Ishikawa won his professional debut last year, capturing the JGTO's Munsingwear Open KSB Cup in May at 15 years, 8 months. He shattered Seve Ballesteros' record for youngest to win on the Japan tour by nearly five years. Ishikawa, now fully exempt on the JGTO, turned pro last month.

Shigezawa, a Punahou sophomore, turned 16 last month and finished second to PGA Tour pro Dean Wilson at last year's Hawai'i State Open. Meyer, from Hilo, has won four Pearl Open titles and was 37th on the JGTO money list last year.

Hurley, a 2004 graduate of the Naval Academy, received a sponsor's exemption to play. The naval officer is stationed aboard the USS Chung-Hoon and has been in Hawai'i the last four months. He played in seven PGA Tour events last year, along with three Nationwide tournaments and various mini-tour events. He lost a playoff for the final qualifying spot at last month's Sony Open in Hawai'i.

Hurley hopes to play on the PGA Tour when his service is over. As an amateur, Hurley earned Ping All-America honors and was a member of the winning 2005 Walker Cup team.

David Ishii, Pearl's Director of Golf, calls Shigezawa his favorite to win "because the ground is wet and the course will be long." He believes Shigezawa is in the "top 1 percent" in distance among the 190 or so golfers.

Ishikawa, who will be followed by a large number of Japanese media, will have his hole-by-hole scores on www.808golf.com. The site will run other scores as players finish.

Ishikawa will be making his professional debut in Hawai'i. He came here from Australia, where he attempted to qualify for the British Open Tuesday in Sydney. Ishikawa, who had 150 people following him at the qualifier, finished the 36 holes at 72-78 and tied for 41st place. The top four qualified.

The Meyer, Ishikawa, Shigezawa and Hurley foursome goes off the 10th tee at 8:12 a.m. Friday. Punahou senior Stephanie Kono will play with Turtle Bay touring pro Kiyoshi Murota, former Hawai'i State Open champion Chad Saladin and Japan amateur Yusuke Iyama at 7:45 a.m., off the 10th tee. Punahou freshman Cyd Okino is paired with former PGA tour player Sean Murphy and Japan pros Takuya Ogawa and Azuma Yano. They start on the 10th tee at 8:30 a.m.

FIRST TEE EXPANDING

First Tee of O'ahu has expanded and now has programs on O'ahu, Moloka'i and Maui, with plans under way to start on the Big Island this year. In its third year, the program had 367 girls and boys participating at Camp Homelani (The Salvation Army Home Course), Hawai'i Country Club, Ala Wai Driving Range, U.S. Navy Ford Island Par 3, Ironwood Hills on Moloka'i and Waiehu Municipal on Maui.

Programs are open to kids between the ages of 7 and 18, who are taught the First Tee's Life Skills while learning how to play golf. Kids interested in participating or adult volunteers can contact executive director Ken Zitz at 478-3466 or kwz711@hawaii.rr.com.

The First Tee of O'ahu (www.thefirstteeoahu.org) is a 501(c)(3) organization and a chapter of The First Tee national organization that has more than 1.5 million young people enrolled in chapters throughout the U.S., Ireland, Japan, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore.

The First Tee is an initiative of the World Golf Foundation. Since its inception in 1997, First Tee has opened more than 250 golf-learning facilities in 45 states and five international locations, and has introduced the game of golf and its values to over 675,000 participants.

ARMY GETS LPGA HELP

The local chapter of the Association of the U.S. Army, a national body that supports active and reserve members of the U.S. Army, will benefit from the second annual LPGA Pro-Am Feb. 13 at Leilehua.

LPGA pro Kate Golden and local volunteer Don Birdseye help coordinate. They raised approximately $8,000 — more than half the local chapter's budget — last year.

Money is used to help with farewell and welcome home receptions for soldiers and to assist a local family readiness group that meets to assist military families, among other things.

There will be 20 teams with between 40 and 60 soldiers, some of whom returned from Iraq in October and November, expected to participate among other retired military and civilian sponsors.

JUNIOR GOLF GALA

The second "Evening with Champions," benefiting the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association, will be Feb. 17 at the Sub-Zero/Wolf showroom. Chef Beverly Gannon will prepare the food and many LPGA players, along with some of Hawai'i's best juniors, will be guests.

The dinner is from 6 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Limited seating is available to the public for $500.

Players and broadcasters expected to be in attendance include Tadd Fujikawa, Paula Creamer, Christina Kim, Dottie Pepper, Kay Cockerill, Britney Lincicome, Sherri Steinhauer and Pat Hurst.

For reservations or to make a donation, call HSJGA at 532-0559.

FIELDS OPEN TICKETS

Tickets are on sale for the third annual Fields Open in Hawai'i. The second LPGA tournament of the year will be Feb. 21 to 23 at Ko Olina Golf Club.

Tickets can be purchased at the Pro-Am and Roger Dunn golf shops and Ko Olina's pro shop. Admission is $10 daily Feb. 20 (Pro-Am) to 23. From now to Feb. 19, tickets are 2-for-1, with each person to buy a pre-paid admission receiving an additional daily ticket.

Parking is free through the resort's main gate. For tournament information, call 671-1727.

CHIP SHOTS

Golf Hawai'i: Monday's Golf Hawai'i with Mark Rolfing will feature Fred Funk, who won the Turtle Bay Championship last year and just left the Islands after playing in the first two PGA Tour and first two Champions Tour events in Hawai'i. The show will also focus on Turtle Bay Resort, while Rolfing's My View will be about the start of the PGA Tour needing more promotion. The program will premier Monday at 7 p.m. on The Golf Channel. It re-airs Wednesday at 8:30 a.m. and 9 p.m., and Feb. 18 at 1:30 p.m.

College workshop: Hawai'i's junior golfers can still register for the annual HSJGA College Workshop, Feb. 17 at I'ao Intermediate School Cafeteria on Maui. The workshop runs from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. It is open to all HSJGA members, family and other interested individuals. It is free for HSJGA members and their family and $5 for non-members. For more information and to register, go to www.HSJGA.org or call 532-0559 on O'ahu.