Episode 32767: 2022 Emily T Gail Talk Story w Sean Maekawa, Golf Professional & Assistant Men's Golf Coach University of Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans

Emily T Gail Talk Story

Sean Maekawa, Professional Golfer and Assistant Men’s Golf Coach University of Hawaii-Hilo Vulcans is a guest on Emily T Gail Talk Story. Professional golfer Sean Maekawa, who grew up in Paauilo, Big Island of Hawaii started to play golf in 1999 at the 9 hole Honokaa Golf Course where he received some encouragement from Alan Texeira. Alan, RIP who lived in Honokaa and was a PGA Professional with Waikoloa Beach Golf and that lead Sean to join the Waikoloa Junior Golf Program. He shares how being involved with the Hawaii State Junior Golf Association and Waikoloa Junior Golf where he met PGA Professional Ross Birch. Ross continued to coach Sean helped him win the Big Island Interscholastic Federation Individual golf titles from 2004-2007 while playing for the Honokaa High School team and the Hawaii High School State Championship in his senior year.. I met Sean through Ross when they were guests on my Emily T Gail Talks Golf Show on espnhawaii.com. It was Sean's first time on the radio. I have enjoyed remaining friends with Sean and his parents and being a long time supporter in spirit of his golf journey.

With such stellar high school golf play in Hawaii, Sean earned a golf scholarship to the University of Oregon and played for the Division I Oregon Ducks under PGA Professional Casey Martin. He was a member of the Oregon Ducks Men’s Golf Team in the Annual Amer-Ari Division I Invitational Tournaments at Waikoloa Beach Resort that has a reputation as one of the best Division I tournaments in the country for the quality of players and the hospitality shared by Coach Earl and his coaches and the Vulcan golf booster club and Waikoloa Beach Resort. The Oregon Ducks team had some very strong finishes including winning the NCAA in Sean’s junior year.

After college Sean turned professional and played on the Gateway Tour and other mini tours. He wanted to explore coaching which led to an opportunity to be a volunteer coach with his former college coach Casey Martin for the Oregon Ducks. Sean says he “discovered he enjoyed coaching at college level having been a college player. He wanted to share with others what he has learned being on both sides of the ball”. That led him back to the Big Island where he could be Asst. Professional at Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf under PGA Professional Kevin Ginoza. Kevin had played for the Division II Pac West University of Hawaii-Hilo Vulcan Golf team and has been an Assistant Coach with his former coach Earl Tamiya along with Troy Tamiya and Sean joined them as well as Assistant Coach. He is grateful to be back home with the opportunity to be a Asst. Golf Coach while raising a family with his wife Ashley. They have two young children Kamden and Aliah. Sean credits the encouragement he has received from mentors, his parents Schoen and Monica and his sister Elisye as he pursued golf as what kept him motivated to follow his dream of a golf career.
Waikoloa Beach Resort recently were hosts for their Annual Division II Dennis Rose Invitational Tournament with top NCAA Division II men’s and women’s golf teams. Dennis Rose, also a mentor for Sean was long time Director of Golf at Waikoloa and president at Waikoloa who passed away at the age of 59 in 2007 after a two year battle with cancer. The men played at Waikoloa Beach Resort Golf and the women played at Hapuna Golf Course. at Mauna Kea Resort. Sean talks about the Dennis Rose Invitational and Vulcan team experiences this year who are ranked in the top 50 Division II teams in the country. That is their best ranking ever and they will be the only Division II team in the The Amer-Ari coming up in February Past winners and participants of the Amer-Ari have included Tiger Woods, Notah Begay, Matt Kucher, Jordan Spieth, Matthew Wolf and many others who have gone on to careers on the PGA TOUR. The Division II Vulcan’s Men’s team and Coach Earl and Asst Coaches Kevin, Troy and Sean and the team are focused on holding their own. Scott Head, VP Operations Waikoloa Beach Resort is sure they will also be great hosts and add to their reputation as one of the most prestigious and fun Division I Invitational Tournaments in the country.
Mahalo for listening. Emily T Gail 808 896-6780 [e-mail]