MAUNA LANI — Rain cooled off the competition at the Hawaii State Open on Sunday, and after some deliberation, organizers decided to scrap the final round of the tournament, shortening it to a 36-hole event at the Francis H. I’i Brown North and South courses.
TJ Kua, who turned in a bogey-free round on Saturday, won the Men’s Open division with a two-day total of 7-under 137 (69-68), taking home the $10,000 prize. David Fink finished in second place a shot back, while a logjam of golfers — including defending champion Nick Mason — finished at 4-under.
Andrew Chin won the Championship Flight with a two-day total of 144, while Tom Sovay (137) won the senior pro and Jonathan Ota (148) the senior amateur. David Budway (159) led the A-Flight pack, while Nicole Sakamoto (142) was the top woman in the field.
According to the tournament, Mauna Lani received nearly two inches of rainfall creating unfavorable playing conditions for Round 3. At 9:45 a.m., the tournament committee gathered all the players, and with a heavy heart, announced the cancellation of the final round.
“The unfortunate weather conditions within the last 12-hours created course conditions that were both unplayable and unsafe for the field,” a release from the tournament read. “With more severe weather forecasted for the afternoon, the decision was made to shorten the tournament.”