Nat’l team members stand out in Hyatt golf tourney

Hyatt Regency Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa, left, and his staff join the flight winners in the 23rd Hyatt Regency Saipan Charity Golf Classic for a group photo during the awards ceremony of the event last Saturday at Hyatt poolside. (Roselyn B. Monroyo)

Pacific Games-bound Edward Lee, Sebastian Camacho, and Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho led the winners in the 23rd Hyatt Regency Saipan Charity Golf Classic held last Saturday on the west course of the Laolao Bay Golf & Resort.

Lee ruled the Championship Flight after beating perennial rival J.J. Atalig, who will team up with the former, Sebastian, Joe, and Ryan Kim when they represent the CNMI in the quadrennial event in Apia, Samoa this summer. Lee and Atalig shot identical gross scores of 3-over par 75, but the junior golfer took the first place honors after prevailing in the scorecard tiebreak (hole No. 4). The eventual champion saved par on the par-4, 337-yard deciding hole, while Atalig had a bogey. William Retardo rounded out the Top 3 in the Championship Flight after firing a 4-over 76.

Joe also carded a 4-over par 76 for a six-shot win over Eun Taeck Jung (82) in the Senior Flight. Leonard Ka’ae posted an 83 to complete the Top 3 finish in the division, which had 11 participants.

In the A Flight, Sebastian bested 15 other golfers to clinch first place. The Grace Christian Academy logged a 3-over par 75, beating Tim Goodwin by three strokes. Peter “Dung Tenorio” finished third after registering a 79.

Meanwhile, other first place finishers in the tournament that aimed to raise funds for various non-profit groups in the community, were Carl Hocog, Woo Cheol Choi, and Shiori Onue.

Onue won the Ladies Flight after shooting a 91 and was joined in the podium by Kanae Quinn and Kwon Yong Sook. Choi, on the other hand, ruled the loaded C Flight after recording an 84—two strokes ahead of Keith Hattig and Nick Reyes. Hattig won the tiebreak (scorecard) for second place after making a bogey on hole No. 10 against the double bogey of Reyes.

There was also a deadlock in B Flight with Hocog winning, thanks to his par on hole No. 4. The Department of Public Safety officer and Guam’s Victor Salas had similar scores of 80, four shots ahead of third placer Vicente Duenas.

The Top 3 finishers in each flight received in-kind prizes from Hyatt Regency Saipan and other tournament sponsors. Hyatt Regency Saipan general manager Nick Nishikawa led the presentation of prizes to the Top 3 finishers in each flight.

“It was a very successful tournament because of the golfers, sponsors, supporters, volunteers, and the hard working Hyatt staff. This is our 23rd year and we will have it for more years because Hyatt wants to continue serving our community,” said Nishikawa, adding that they will try to find a way to accommodate more players next year.

“Slots are limited and there are still more players who want to join the tournament, so maybe next year, we will do our best to make it a bigger competition,” the Hyatt Regency Saipan official said.

More than 140 golfers joined last Saturday’s event with several others still opted to make the trip to the Kagman facility and take their chances on the long waiting list in case those who registered early won’t show up.