Andrew Chin is now a two-time individual medalist in Interscholastic League of Honolulu golf.
Claire Choi is a first-time ILH champion.
The two Punahou student athletes had the hot hands Wednesday at the Turtle Bay Fazio Course to help the Buffanblu become the first school to sweep the ILH boys and girls individual golf titles two years in a row.
Punahou has swept the individual awards five times and Kamehameha did it once in 2002.
Chin knew it was going to be close as he approached the 18th green. He figured a par would win it. He was correct and did just that on the par-4 closing hole.
Afterward, at the urging of teammates, he did pushups with his golf bag strapped to his bag.
Chin, a senior who will play for BYU next season, also earned the ILH title last year and is the first boy to repeat as champion since University’s Travis Toyama in 2004.
Chin closed the 36-hole test Wednesday with a 4-under 68 in calm conditions to post a 7-under 136 total, one stroke in front of Buffanblu teammate Evan Kawai, who also shot 68 on Wednesday.
‘Iolani’s Kengo Aoshima took third, at 4-under 140.
“He (Andrew) stayed aggressive the whole round,” Aoshima said. “He didn’t make any mistakes except for 16 and misread one putt. That’s the only mistake he made.”
Said Chin: “I played quite well tee to green. I got off to a good start with birdies on 1, 2 and 4. The rest of the day, I was kind of cruising, trying to make putts.”
On the girls side, with Punahou’s Mariel Galdiano and Allisen Corpuz (who combined for the last four titles) having graduated, Choi filled the void.
She followed up her 4-over 76 on Monday with a 1-under 71 on Wednesday for a 3-over 147 total. It was two shots clear of second-place Allysha-Mae Mateo of Maryknoll, who closed with 76.
“The seniors from last year (Galdiano and Corpuz) are gone,” Choi said. “They were really good! I think the title of ILH champ is pretty good this year.”
Mid-Pacific’s Danielle Ujimori (150) took third place and had the best girls round of the day with a 69.
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