WA Golf News August 10, 2023

Meet Pono Yanagi, the Cougar from Hawaii who won the Washington Men’s Amateur

It’s been a busy summer for Pono Yanagi. In late June, he shot rounds of 72-63-67 to run away from the field in winning the 102nd Washington Men’s Amateur, held at Wine Valley Golf Club in Walla Walla. A couple weeks later he shot 65-65 at Palouse Ridge Golf Club and earned medalist honors in qualifying for the U.S. Amateur. Then, two weeks later competed in the Pacific Coast Amateur at Capilano G&CC in West Vancouver, B.C., being selected for the WA Golf team in that championship’s Morse Cup competition. Originally from Hilo on Hawaii’s Big Island, Pono will be a fifth-year senior at Washington State University, playing on the men’s golf team. Pono talks about how he made his way to Pullman from Hawaii, how he works on his game during the winters in Pullman, how he is preparing for the thin air in Colorado at the upcoming U.S. Amateur, and his plans for when his collegiate career is over.