Maui’s rising stars shine bright at Kaanapali.

It was beginning to feel like Ground Hog’s Day this morning with Isagawa in the lead for the Girls MIL Title and Kunitomo and Chiarella battling it out for the Boys MIL Title.  This was the same story last year heading into the final round – but you never know what one round of golf will bring.  With blue skies and very light trades, these three players played solid rounds today on the Royal Ka’anapali Course to finish off the fifth and final round of the MIL Individual Championship.

Cassy Isagawa, a Baldwin Senior now has three MIL Titles to boast and will be headed to Oregon next fall.  She carded an even par today (71) for a 5 round total of 360.  Isagawa’s only falter was on the par 4 #5 hole where her approach shot caught the rough on the edge of the beach walk, leaving her a difficult approach to the pin.  Cassy would finish that hole with a bogey, but on the next hole she would take it right back with a birdie.  Isagawa hit driver off the tee, putting her 146 yards to the flag. She then hit a 6-iron into the wind, leaving herself a 15-20 foot uphill putt.  Just missing the putt for eagle, Cassy tapped in for birdie.

“I played steady golf today – I told myself not to be risky out there,” said Isagawa after her round.  She added, “I’m happy with how I played today – I’m looking forward to States next month and I’m also really excited about college.” Isagawa has six teammates from Baldwin joining her at States and the Baldwin Girls should do well as a team.

Both Alex Chiarella and Aaron Kunitomo were two under on the front nine today.  They both ran into some trouble on the par 5 5^th hole that plays along the ocean.  Chiarella’s first approach shot hit the path and it bounced off to the right out of bounds and onto the beach.  Alex’s next shot he stuck to about 20 feet from the pin and would two-putt to double the hole.  On the 460 yard par 5 6^th hole however, he would make those two strokes back.  His drive was right down the middle of the fairway and his approach landed him above left, 25 feet from the hole, not an easy putt from there.  Chiarella put a good stroke on his putt and it slowly headed down the hill and landed in the back of the cup for an eagle.

The #6 hole played well for several players today: Lahainaluna Senior, Noah Klipstein double eagled that hole today when he hit his second shot from 193 yards with a 4-iron right at the flag.  “The flag was in the front of the green, so I wanted to be aggressive on that hole and hoped to knock it close, so I could try for an eagle,” said Klipstein.  He would knock it close – so close that it would roll right into the hole, making a two on the par 5. Klipstein would finish 4^th for MIL Individuals, with a 5 day total of 371. Klipstein and four of his Lahainaluna teammates will continue on to States after they won the Team MIL Championship in a playoff round with Baldwin and Kamehameha-Maui last week (first time in Lahainaluna history of MIL Team win).