Ned Norita, with his son Avawn Jacob (holding the cash prize), poses for a photo with HANMI Chair Dennis Seo, tournament committee member Franco Santos, and tournament committee chair William Retardo during the awards ceremony at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort on Saturday.
Photo by Emmanuel T. Erediano
NED Norita beat Harry Nakamura in a tie-breaker playoff to win the 23rd Annual Hotel Association of NMI Charity Classic Golf Tournament, which drew over 100 local golfers at LaoLao Bay Golf & Resort’s West Course on Saturday.
The top three golfers went home $500 richer, plus some exciting raffle prizes.
Norita and Nakamura both shot 70.2 in a double Peoria 18-hole format on the course designed by PGA champion Greg Norman.
A regular figure in local golf tournaments, Norita carded two birdies — on Hole 5 and Hole 16 — to finish with a gross score of 75. He had 10 pars and hit one of the largest Peoria holes to earn a 4.80 handicap, securing the top spot.
Second-place finisher Nakamura, known for his long drives in many regular tournaments, also grossed 75 and earned a net score of 70.2. He also won two closest-to-the-pin contests, earning an additional $400 in cash.
Jeff Taylor posted a net score of 70.4 to take third place.
Sae Hee Kim and Peter Tenorio scored net 70.4 for fourth and fifth place, respectively, while Matt Deets finished with 70.60 to settle for sixth place. All three earned $300 each.
HANMI also handed out surprise prizes: Fred Salavaria won for placing 23rd — symbolizing the tournament’s 23rd year — while Nick Reyes received the consolation prize for placing 43rd, marking the number of years HANMI has been in existence.
Tournament committee chair William Retardo thanked all the golfers who joined despite the current economic challenges. A familiar face in the island’s monthly golf events, Retardo said this was his first time not teeing off in a HANMI tournament because he had to focus on organizing the event.
HANMI Chair Dennis Seo also thanked everyone for participating. “These are challenging times for everybody,” he said. “On behalf of HANMI, I truly appreciate your support and for joining us today.” He added that without the support of local golfers and sponsors, the event’s success would not have been possible. This year’s tournament was particularly meaningful as HANMI celebrated its 43rd anniversary.
Seo also expressed appreciation to the event committee for taking time out of their busy schedules to organize the tournament.
A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Commonwealth Cancer Association.
Although no one claimed them, this year’s hole-in-one prizes included: a 2026 Kia Sportage from Joeten Motors on Hole 13, a 2025 Hyundai Santa Cruz SE from Triple J Motors on Hole 3, a 2025 Toyota Tacoma 4×4 TRD from AK Toyota on Hole 17, and $5,000 cash from both Pacifica Insurance and Marpac on Hole 7.
