Former Big Island native Steve Veriato survived the 36-hole cut in the Senior PGA Tour national qualifying yesterday at Haines City, Fla. Veriato
survives cutoffVeriato, who now lives in Texas, shot 74--149 -- the cutoff score -- at the Grenelefe Golf Resort's par-72 West Course.
Failing to qualify were Chuck Davis of Honolulu and Maui's Dick McClean, who each finished at 154.
Eight players will receive full exemptions for the 1999 season, and the next eight players will receive conditional playing privileges).
FLOYD BACK: Raymond Floyd will try to make it six in a row against golf legends Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer and Hale Irwin in the 12th annual Senior Skins Game, Jan. 30 and 31 at the Mauna Lani Resort's South Course on the Big Island.
Floyd is the all-time Skins/Senior Skins Game money leader with $1,820,000. He leads the all-time Senior Skins Game with $1,470,000, including $1,410,000 in his five-year victory streak.
HIRONAKA PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Senior guard Carrie Hironaka, the former Punahou star now playing for Tufts University, was named the New England Small College Athletic Conference player of the week.
Hironaka averaged 17 points, six rebounds and nine assists for the Jumbos, who beat UMass-Dartmouth and Johnson & Wales last week.
UH SAILORS 11th: The Hawaii coed sailing team finished 11th at the U.S./Japan Goodwill Regatta last weekend at Newport Beach, Calif.
Tufts won the regatta with 84 points. Rainbow skipper Brent Harrill and crew member Natalia Tangalin finished with 204 points.
DUPONT WINS: Pam duPont of Orlando, Fla., won the Ladies Division of the Mauna Kea Invitational golf tournament yesterday at the Mauna Kea Resort on the Big Island.
With a two-round net score of 147, duPont had a four-stroke advantage over runner-up Yvonne Cooper.
In the men's division, Marshall Gleason and Pardee Erdman were tied at 158 after the second round of play. The men's final round will be played today.
MILILANI GOLD TAKES TITLE: Wayde Murata's home run and the combined four-hit pitching of Stephen Terashita, Adam Inaba and Derek Costigan led Mililani Gold to a 5-3 victory over Pearl City Blues for the Rural Invitational Junior Baseball League championship last Saturday at Hans L'Orange Park.
Murata was named the tournament's Most Valuable Player after batting .556 in the postseason with two homers, eight RBI and four stolen bases.