Hawai'i pro Casey Nakama, whose Casey Nakama Golf Development Center has produced many of Hawai'i's finest juniors, is caddying for 14-year-old Cyd Okino at the U.S. Women's Open. Nakama, who also coached Michelle Wie in her formative years, is writing a diary for The Advertiser and had these thoughts after Okino shot 79 in yesterday's opening round.

Cyd shot 6-over. The thing I was most afraid of happened: She played the first three holes in 4-over.

It was just nerves. On the first hole she got a little bad luck in a fairway bunker, caught the lip on her second shot — we were just trying to lay up, it's a par-5 — and the ball ricocheted backwards. Then we just had to blast out. She hit a great shot, had only 10 feet to save par but missed.

On the second, everything seemed OK. She hit it to 12 feet, but three-putted. She was trying to get that one back and hit her first putt too far past. Then, on the par-3, she hit in the water. We had to drop in a bad area. It was a good double bogey.

After that she was fine, hitting it really good. We had five putts from 12 feet and in and missed them all. She didn't make any putts. She hit the ball really good to get those opportunities.

The thing I'm glad about is I learned she can compete here. She can hold her own at this level. At the publinx a few years ago she was in over her head, but she's OK here.

After the bad start, how she handled herself was all positive. She was terrific. There's not much more you can ask for from a player. She's playing on golf's biggest stage and I totally expected her to be nervous. After she got past the first three or four holes she fought back. Now she feels like she's capable of competing, so this will be a real good thing for her.

When we got to the ninth hole everybody told us Michelle made nine there. It's an elevated green. If you miss short you're in bad, thick rough and the first half of the green is false so really only half the green is useful. If you hit to the middle of the green the ball will roll all the way back into the rough and it's a real steep hill. Michelle hit short, then over the green, where you cannot be because there's no chance of stopping the ball. It rolled off the front again.

Cyd was in total control. Now, she's a little ticked off because she knows she could have shot a little better. I have a feeling she will play pretty good tomorrow. They make the cut at 60 (and ties) and I think it will come at 2- or 3-over. If she has a good start, we have a chance. The weather is perfect for scoring. The only thing I'm afraid of is the scores will go low because of that.