A double-bogey cost Ciera Min a chance at shooting under par, but the undeterred Waiakea senior was still one of the few golfers in striking distance at the Hawaii High School Athletic Association championships.
Min carded a 1-over 72 on Tuesday at Kaanapali Golf Course on Maui and was alone in second, four shots behind Mariel Galdiano.
Known as a tough grader on herself, Min wasn’t all that displeased even after she lost two strokes on her last whole, the par-4 18th.
“No, it actually wasn’t that bad,” said Min, the two-time defending Big Island Interscholastic Federation champion. “Conditions were fine, but the course was pretty tough. I think you can tell by the scores.”
Only 13 of the 66 golfers in the event came in under 80. Baldwin’s Marissa Uradomo (75) was in third, and there was a group of four golfers at 77.
As she battles Kaanapali again today and tries to keep up with Galdiano (68), a Punahou freshman who played in the 2011 U.S. Women’s Open, Min vowed to soak everything in and enjoy her last round of high school golf.
“It is going to be rally sad, yet bittersweet,” said the Gonzaga-bound golfer. “I’m basically planning (today) as a completely new tournament. I really want to have fun.”
She’ll have a chance to go out a champion if she can duplicate her front nine. Min birdied two of her first four holes, and after a bogey on No. 5, she birdied No. 7 to get back to 2-under.
“Putts were dropping,” said Min, who reeled off seven consecutive pars before bogeying the par-3 15th.
Galdiano took the lead with an eagle on the par-5 sixth hole. She got to a low as 4-under, but her only bogeys were on Nos. 15 and 18.
Behind Galdiano, the Buffanblu (9-over 222) built a 17-shot lead over Waiakea and Iolani.
Andi Igawa shot an 80 and was tied for 14th for the Warriors, and teammate Shaina Mizusawa was at 87.
Hilo’s Amanda Loeffler also was at 87 and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Shantel Antonio shot an 88.
Other BIIF golfers in the field were the Vikings’ Annie Sadamoto (111) and Kamehameha-Hawaii’s Healani Kaaihili (121).
