JOE “Kamikaze” Camacho on Saturday shot a hole-in-one en route to topping the second tryout for the NMI Men’s National Golf Team that will compete in the 2023 Pacific Games in the Solomon Islands.
Camacho notched a total gross of 150 at the LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort east and west courses.
His shot placements were precise as he sank two birdies to end the front nine with a gross score of 36. On the back nine, he made two more birdies. An then, on hole #13, the veteran golfer shot a hole-in-one from the blue tee, followed by one more birdie for a gross of 33.
It was Camacho’s second hole-in-one on hole #13.
With a combined gross total of 69, 3-under par, he led the second day tryouts. Combined with his day 1 gross total of 81, Camacho also leads the overall standings with a total gross of 150.
“With golf, some days it’s there and some days it’s not,” he said. “Everyone is putting in time and they are all good golfers.”
Camacho said he would gladly step down as he has competed and represented the NMI many times and would not mind giving younger players the opportunity if need be.
In second place overall is Joe Sasamoto with a total gross of 153. He fared well with two birdies on the front nine for a gross of 40, but struggled on the back nine with a gross of 44, which gave him a gross total of 84.
In third place overall is Zhi Yun Li who had a tough time finding his swing on the front nine. He made one birdie to end with a gross of 43. But his game improved on the back nine with more pars and one birdie for a gross of 38 and a gross total of 81.
The top five golfers will be selected after the tryouts.
Women’s division
Flor Jones still leads the women’s division, shooting a gross of 45 on the front nine and 46 on the back for a combined gross of 91. She has a total gross score of 180 after two tryout days.
Zhimin Jin, for her part, made her first appearance in the tryouts, shooting a gross total of 82.
Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho, one of the coordinators for the event, along with the Refaluwasch Golf Association, said they would “like to recognize and thank LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort for hosting the 2023…men’s and women’s golf team tryouts on both the east and west courses. With the help and support of LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort, the players were able to use its premier course and short game facilities to further enhance their training and preparations for the games in November in the Solomon Islands.”
Joe “Kamikaze” Camacho
