Results: Kāʻanapali 2016 BMW Ultimate Golf Challenge Pro-Am

Kāʻanapali Golf Courses hosted the 2016 BMW – Ultimate Golf Challenge Pro-Am on Saturday, where 70 amateurs and Aloha Section PGA members competed on the Royal Kāʻanapali Course for cash prizes (Pros) and a chance to qualify for the US Finals at Pinehurst, N.C.

There were three competitions within the one event: the PGA Professional Flight with a $10,000 purse sponsored by BMW Hawaiʻi up for grabs; the Pro-Am Flight, (1 Pro and 2 Amateurs) and an Amateur-Only Flight (2 Amateurs). The format for all three competitions was a net Stableford scoring, with points given for net bogey or better.

The winning Pro-Am Team of Garrett Okamura (Pro), Cindy Catugal and Mimi Orr and winning Am-Only Team of Jeff Moon and Matt Ma earn a spot to represent BMW Hawaiʻi in the BMW US Finals at Pinehurst October 5-9, 2016. The winning Pro with 78 points, Garrett Okamura (Dunes at Maui Lani) also takes home a $3,000 check for top earnings this weekend at Kāʻanapali.

Okamura commented about the event “I was actually really nervous about the format, I’ve never played professionally using the Stableford scoring, but I knew if I could make 18 straight pars both days, that that would be tough to beat.” Okamura posted seven birdies and only one bogey over 36 holes. “I tell everyone, Kāʻanapali has the best greens on the island, super consistent and rolling really true – the course setup this weekend was very fair. Kāʻanapali always does a great job at these events and as a professional, I am really thankful for them and sponsors like BMW Hawaii for giving us Pros a chance to play,” he said. Professional Kyle Hayashi came in second in the Pro-Flight with 74 points and scored two eagles this weekend to put him in contention for the Pro Title. Hayashi earned $1,500 for second place.

Okamura not only earned a solid paycheck during this event, but also will be competing with his two amateur winners, Cindy Catugal and Mimi Orr in October at Pinehurst. The winning Pro-Am team had 210 points, 10 points ahead of second place, Scott Carroll (Pro) paired with amateurs, Joel Navarro and Marcy Rhody (Lahaina).

Okamura said of the Catugal and Orr, “The ladies played great, Cindy is a solid player, she doesn’t make any mistakes and her short game is amazing. They were a great team – Mimi had a great birdie on #7 today, making a downhill 20-foot putt left to right.” Mimi Orr said, “It was either going in, or going another 30 feet past the hole!”

Catugal qualified in 2008 at a BMW Hawaii event and went on to win the then women’s division and represented BMW U.S.A in Argentina.

The amateur team of Jeff Moon (Kahului) and Matt Ma (Pearl City) have known each other for five years and both work for Golf Concepts out of Oʻahu. Moon and Ma went into a sudden death playoff, being tied with Joel Navarro and Marcy Rhody tied for first at 139 points. Moon and Ma earned four birdies to put them T1 with Navarro and Rhody. In the first playoff hole, Moon sunk a putt on hole #1 for par to force a second playoff hole on the infamous par 4 18th hole on the Royal Course. Ma ended up in the water off the tee, putting some pressure on Moon who then had a 140-yard 9-iron cut shot into the wind to the protected final hole. Moon’s shot would land just past the hole and he would two-putt for par. Navarro and Rhody who struggled a bit on the 18th , would bogey to lose the playoff hole. Moon & Ma will be paired with one of Kāʻanapali’s PGA Professionals at Pinehurst.

Moon commented about the win, “It was pretty awesome to make the winning putt in front of my family and friends on 18 today and I can’t wait to play at Pinehurst.” He continued, “There is so much history there and that is where one of my favorite golfer, Payne Steward won his last major – I am honored to represent BMW Hawaiʻi there.”

Kāʻanapali’s 2016 The BMW – Ultimate Golf Challenge Pro-Am
Net Stableford Scoring: Am-Only Team Score (2 Ams)

Place Team; Day One; Day Two; Total
T1** Moon, Jeff (A) / Ma, Matt (A) 72 67 139
T1 Navarro, Joel (A) / Rhody, Marcy (L) 71 68 139
3 Okumura, Marc (B) / Fujimoto, Bart (B) 75 58 133
4 Orr, Mimi (L) / Catugal, Cindy (L) 62 70 132
5 Short, Ashley (L) / Short, Dennis (B) 74 70 130
T6 Bristow, Rob (A) / Scherer, Andrew (A) 68 60 128
T6 Fugate, David (A) / Kamaunu, Jeramiah (A) 64 64 128
8 Ruiz, Rick (B) / Smallmon, Chris (B) 69 57 126
9 Sperling, Mark (A) / Komatsu, Mel (B) 62 62 124
10 Armijo, Richard (B) / Armijo, Tyler (A) 61 62 123
11 Wilhelm, Robert (B) / McColl, Milt (B) 59 59 118
12 Kakazu, Al (A) / Atwood, Mike (B) 57 59 116
13 Verley, Gordon (A) / Verley, Shirley (L) 56 58 114
14 Fuentes, Luis (A) / Marinas, Mandy (A) 47 66 113
T15 Tialino, Fa’a (A) / Bartoli, Cory (A) 52 56 108
T15 Lau, Brysonn (A) / Garcia, Garrick (A) 60 48 108
T17 Nakamoto, Marc (A) / Kuioka, Scott (A) 53 54 107
T17 Shelton, Laurel (L) / Verley, Carl (B) 55 52 107
T17 Trenholme, Craig (A) / Findeisen, Ken (B) 53 54 107
T20 Wailehua, Wes (A) / Arnold, Bill (A) 53 52 105
T20 Kobayashi, Davis (B) / Ohira, Warren (B) 49 56 105
22 Kishinami, Reed (A) / Hayashi, Scott (B) 51 52 103
23 Lee, Steven (B) / Premack, Ben (B) 49 51 100
24 Medeiros, Jansen (B) / Sager, Jerry (B) 38 61 99
25 Bedard, Shawn (A) / Vigneux, Duey (A) 49 49 98
26 Vouloumanos, G (L) / Gushi, June (L) 42 40 82
27 Lausterer, Brent (B) / Torres, Fred (B) 33 47 80
28 Galindo, Nick (A) / Velas, Jimmy (B) 32 41 73

** Won in sudden death playoff on second hole (#18)

Jeff Moon lines up his putt on number eighteen during the playoff of the 2016 BMW Ultimate Challenge at Kāʻanapali Golf Resort Royal Course. April 30th, 2016. Photo credit: Aric Becker.

Mimi Orr putts during the 2016 BMW Ultimate Challenge at Kāʻanapali Golf Resort Royal Course. April 30th, 2016. Photo credit: Aric Becker.

Cindy Catugal hits her approach to number nine green during the 2016 BMW Ultimate Challenge at Kāʻanapali Golf Resort Royal Course. April 30th, 2016. Photo credit: Aric Becker.

Garrett Okamura hits his approach to number nine green during the 2016 BMW Ultimate Challenge at Kāʻanapali Golf Resort Royal Course. April 30th, 2016. Photo credit: Aric Becker