Fujikawa Qualifies For Sony
Open In 2006, Hawaiian teen became youngest U.S. Open
contestant January 13, 2009
Tadd Fujikawa, who at age 15 years, 6 months and 7 days
became the youngest competitor in U.S. Open history at
Winged Foot Golf Club in 2006, qualified for the 2009 Sony
Open on Monday at Turtle Bay Resort's Arnold Palmer
Course. Less than a week after celebrating his 18th birthday,
Fujikawa, a Honolulu resident who turned pro in 2007 after
his sophomore year in high school, carded a 5-under-par 67
to share medalist honors with Alex Aragon and Junpei
Takayama to garner one of the four available berths into
the PGA Tour's first full-field event of the season at
Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. John Lepak birdied the
first playoff hole to best two others for the final
berth. "I feel pretty good," the Moanalua High School
senior told the
Honolulu Advertiser.
"I'm very excited about being back at Sony. I've been
really, really working hard. All the help from coaches and
support from family and friends and all my hard work is
paying off." Two years ago at 16, Fujikawa also qualified for the
Sony Open and shocked everyone by becoming the youngest
player in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut, carding 4-under
66s in rounds two and three and finishing at 5-under 275
(T-20). It happened at the same time that another
precocious Hawaiian teenager, Michelle Wie, was in the
field on a sponsor's exemption but failed to make the
cut. But since Fujikawa turned pro in July of 2007, he has
struggled, missing 16 of 18 cuts in events on the PGA,
European, Nationwide and Japan tours, including the 2008
Sony Open when organizers gave him a sponsor's exemption.
He is 0 for 6 in PGA Tour events. His lone victory since
turning pro has been the Mid-Pacific Open, a local
event. On Monday, Fujikawa birdied the par-5 18th hole to
secure his spot in the field and avoid a possible playoff
for the final spots. "I figured 67 would be pretty close to the
number," said Fujikawa, whose bogey-free round also
included birdies on holes three, six, nine and 14. "I
knew I had to make birdie to have a good chance." Fujikawa won't be the only teen in the field. Lorens
Chan, 14, of Honolulu, earned a spot by winning an amateur
qualifier. Chan qualified for the 2008 U.S. Amateur at
Pinehurst, but missed the match-play cut after shooting
10-over 150. The 72-hole Sony Open begins Thursday. K.J. Choi of
South Korea is the defending champion. Compiled by USGA Digital Media staff writer David
Shefter
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