Propelled by back-to-back rounds of 65 on Royal Kā‘anapali, Nanea Golf Club’s Juan Rodriguez and Hunter Larson defeated Kapalua Golf Academy’s Ben Hongo and Douglas Bohn in the first playoff hole to win the 2023 Kā‘anapali Pro-Pro Championship Presented by Golf Concepts.
“My modus operandi on hole 18 when we had a chance to get into a playoff was to bring it home for Juan,” said Hunter Larson, PGA Director of Instruction. “It’s such a cool story to see him win on the same course that his uncle (Chi Chi Rodríguez) did years ago on the Senior PGA TOUR.”
The winner of 37 worldwide professional events, Chi Chi Rodríguez captured 8 PGA TOUR and 22 PGA TOUR Champions titles. He won the first two years of the Senior SKINS Game at Kā‘anapali in 1988 and 1989.
Juan Rodriguez (left) and Hunter Larson celebrate their playoff victory
The Big Island duo is no stranger to the winner’s circle. Larson was the 2022 Aloha Section PGA Player of the Year and 2018 Aloha Section winner in the National Car Rental Assistant PGA Championship. Rodriguez, a longtime veteran in Hawai‘i golf, won the 2017 E-Z-GO Facilities Team Championship.
Juan Rodriguez gets up-and-down for birdie on hole 9
Rodriguez, the PGA Assistant Professional at Nanea Golf Club, commented, “Today I was just trying to hit the ball as good as I could. I got lucky the first few holes and made some birdies that kept us going.”
Playing partner Larson added, “My strategy for about 10 holes in the final round was just watching this guy play great golf. Juan played amazing on the front nine. We lost a little momentum on 10 and couldn’t keep it going when Doug (Bohn) was playing so good behind us. Our strategy quickly turned to, ‘Okay, we need to start making birdies or we’re going to lose this.’”
Rodriguez chimed in, “I have played with Hunter many times. One thing that I believe the most when you play as a team is not to get too involved in what other people are doing – just let them be who they are. The more you behave like yourself, the better the results are.”
Larson continued, “There were holes where Juan could be more aggressive and I could make a par and hold us in there, and other times when Juan would just hit the right shots, allowing me to be aggressive. Yesterday, I did a good job of getting hot and making a few birdies. Today, Juan took the reins. My job was to make as many pars as I could so he could be as aggressive as he wanted.”
Douglas Bohn (left) and Ben Hongo celebrate a birdie on hole 14
Hongo and Bohn of Kapalua Golf Academy came in second place after the playoff with a two-day total of 12-under-par. Antonio Aranda (Kapalua Bay GC) and Dawn Kaneshiro (pro) placed third. Defending champions Chris Shimomura (Golf Assistant at Kā‘anapali) and Kevin Shimomura (Ko Olina) finished fourth in the 36-hole four-ball stroke play event. The Shimomura brothers scored a skin in the final round with an eagle on the par-5 9th hole.
Chris Shimomura enjoys his birdie on hole 14
“We were delighted to return to Kā‘anapali for this storied tournament,” said Wes Wailehua, executive director of the Aloha Section PGA. “The West Maui layout provided a great challenge to many of our state’s best PGA Professionals.”
2023 marked the 17th time that Kā‘anapali has hosted the Pro-Pro Championship. As noted by Karl Reul, general manager of Kā‘anapali Golf Courses, “It’s great for our community to be able to see the state’s best compete in this annual event.” Reul added, “The Royal Course is a true test of the player’s skills. Up until the 18th hole – you can never count anyone out until that final putt is made. Having a playoff between two great teams certainly made it exciting for everyone to watch.”
“As the provider of Kā’anapali Golf Courses’ brand-new fleet of E-Z-GO carts, we were proud to support the 2023 Pro-Pro Championship” said Jay Hinazumi, president of Golf Concepts, based on Oahu. “We hope the Pro-Pro tournament continues to flourish for years to come.”
PRO-PRO CHAMPIONSHIP
Dates: Saturday, June 10 – Sunday, June 11, 2023
Course: Royal Kā‘anapali
Location: Lahaina, Maui, Hawai‘i
Yardage (Par): 6,700 (71)
Format: Two days; 18 holes each day; four-ball stroke play
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About Kā‘anapali Golf Courses
Built on 300 acres of land once home to Hawaiian royalty, Kā‘anapali Golf Courses present golfers with pristine conditions and stunning views of the Pacific Ocean and West Maui Mountains.
Opened in 1962 and designed by Robert Trent Jones Sr., the par-71, 6,700-yard Royal Kā‘anapali Course features wide fairways and undulating greens which make it both distinctive and demanding. The tournament-tested layout played host to the Champions Tour Kā‘anapali Classic for 14 years, Shell’s Wonderful World of Golf, the Canada Cup and LPGA Kemper Open, welcoming Jack Nicklaus, Arnold Palmer, Greg Norman, Fred Couples, Jan Stephenson, Betsy King and other legends.
Complementing the Royal Kā‘anapali Course is the modernized Kā‘anapali Kai Course, which hosted Golf Channel’s “Big Break Kā‘anapali” in 2008. Extensively renovated in 2005, the 6,400-yard, par-70 layout boasts an array of strategically placed bunkers, contoured fairways and resurfaced greens.
More information and engagement: www.kaanapaligolfcourses.com and 808.661.3691.
About Troon
Headquartered in Scottsdale, Ariz., Troon is the world’s largest golf and golf-related hospitality management company providing services at 770-plus locations, including 760-plus 18-hole equivalent golf courses around the globe. In addition to golf, Troon specializes in homeowner association management, private residence clubs, estate management and associated hospitality venues. Troon’s award-winning food and beverage division operates and manages 600-plus food and beverage operations located at golf resorts, private clubs, daily fee golf courses and recreational facilities. With properties located in 45-plus states and 30-plus countries, Troon’s family of brands includes Troon Golf, Troon Privé, Troon International, Indigo Sports, CADDIEMASTER, ClubUp, Cliff Drysdale Tennis, Peter Burwash International, True Club Solutions, RealFood Hospitality, Strategy and Design, Casa Verde Golf and ICON Management. For additional news and information, visit www.Troon.com, TroonMagazine.com or connect with Troon on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Troon Chronicles, Press Room, and via The Turn Podcast.