Marissa Chow wins ILH girls golf title
April 27, 2009 | by Brian Hamasaki · No Comments
Update: Honolulu Star-Bulletin story on Marissa and her mother.
Iolani freshman Marissa Chow shot an even-par 72 at Kapolei Golf Course after an opening round 71 at Oahu Country Club to win the ILH girls golf title by three strokes.
Chow dedicated the win to her mother, Lynne, who died of breast cancer in January.
“I know that she was watching me and that she was right there with me the whole time,” Chow said. “This was really her dream and I just really wanted to do it for her.”
Chow began her round with a birdie on the 498-yard, par-5 first hole.
“I hit a good drive, good second shot and the approach — I was in shock myself how well I hit it,” she said. “The putt just went dead center and after that I knew that this was going to be my day.”
Chow made five consecutive pars before another birdie on the par-5 seventh. However, she gave it right back with a bogey on the par-3 eighth.
After making the turn at 1-under 35, Chow went blemish-free on the back nine except for a bogey on the par-4 11th.
“The course is in great shape, the greens were great,” she said. “I don’t think we’ve played on a better course than this all season.”
Chow has been dealing with plantar fasciitis in both of her feet for the past three years, making yesterday’s win all the more remarkable. The condition is caused by excessive wear to the plantar fascia, which supports the arches of the foot and results in inflammation of the connective tissue.
“I’ve learned to deal with the pain and not let it bother me as much,” said Chow, who averaged a league-best 72.2 strokes per round during the season.
“She played awesome, the same way she’s played all season,” Raiders coach Glenn Inouye said. “She’s so consistent – it’s almost always fairway, green and two-putt.”
