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HONOLULU – University of Hawai'i sophomore #T.J. Kua# fired a second round four-over 74 Friday at the Sony Open in Hawai'i at the Wai'alae Country Club. Kua will not make the cut in his first professional tournament with his two-day score of 3-over par 143. The projected cut is at 1-over par.

 

As the only amateur in the 144-player field, the Lihu'e, Kaua'i native recorded two birdies, four bogeys and one double-bogey in his round.

 

With an 8:50 a.m. tee time, he began on No. 10 and dropped a stroke on his third hole after pars on his first two holes. After two more pars on No. 13 and 14, Kua gave another one back after hitting his approach shot in the right rough and missing a seven-footer for par.

 

With another missed green on No. 16, Kua managed to save par before sticking his tee shot on No. 17 within seven feet for his first birdie of the day. On No. 18 – a hole he birdied on Thursday – Kua hit his tee shot into the fairway bunker and missed a 12-foot putt for birdie to close his front nine in one-over 36.

 

The Kamehameha Schools graduate started the backside with three straight pars, despite missing the fairway twice. On No. 4, a 204-yard par 3, Kua three-putted for his third bogey of the day. The next hole, he missed a birdie putt after hitting his approach shot within six feet. The wheels started rolling off with a double-bogey on No. 6 and another three-putt bogey on No. 7, that put him at five-over for the day.

 

He scrambled for par on No. 8 after sticking his third shot within three feet and ended his round sinking a nine-foot birdie putt on the last hole, the second straight day he birdied No. 9.

 

Kua is the first UH golfer to compete in the event since Ryan Koshi played in the 1998 Hawaiian Open. Kua earned a spot in the Sony Open after winning the Amateur Governor's Cup Qualifying in December at the same Wai'alae Country Club course. He was one of six golfers from Hawai'i in the 2010 Sony Open field along with Dean Wilson, Tadd Fujikawa, Parker McLachlin Nick Mason, and former UH golfer Kevin Hayashi.

 

Kua and the UH men's golf team begins the spring season by competing in the Mauna Lani Invitational, Feb. 3-5 on the Big Island.