Conditions were fast and firm for the final round of the 2025 Imperial Hawaii Junior Classic at Pearl at Kalauao, marking the conclusion of the AJGA’s inaugural event in Hawai‘i. After three thrilling playoff holes, Frederick Egnatios emerged victorious in the Boys Division at 1-under par, edging out Cole Kim and Keane Taino. In the Girls Division, Bella Ransi maintained her two-day lead to win by a single stroke over Alyssa Rigby.
“We are thrilled to host our first-ever AJGA event in the beautiful state of Hawai‘i,” said Jason Ross, AJGA Chief Business Development Officer. “This milestone wouldn’t be possible without the incredible support of our partners at Imperial, the Hawaii State Golf Association, and Pearl at Kalauao. Their commitment to growing the game and providing opportunities for junior golfers has made this event truly special. We’re honored to bring the AJGA experience to Hawai‘i and look forward to building on this partnership for years to come.”
The gallery was treated to an exciting finish in the Boys Division as Egnatios, Kim, and Taino—all finishing at 1-under—headed to a three-hole playoff on the par-4 18th. Egnatios and Taino both made par on the first hole, while Kim fell back with a bogey. The pair returned to the tee and again matched pars. On their third trip down 18, Egnatios’ steady play paid off—another par secured his title and capped off an unforgettable ending to AJGA’s first-ever event in the islands.
“This win means a lot—I’ve been working really hard this summer, and it shows that the effort is starting to pay off,” said Egnatios. “I’m honored to be the first winner of an AJGA event in Hawai‘i. I can’t thank the golf course staff and everyone who made this event possible enough—it was truly a special experience. My favorite part of the course had to be the greens—they were true and some of the best putting surfaces I’ve ever played on.”
More often than not, the opening-round leader doesn’t walk away with the trophy—but Girls Champion Bella Ransi of El Dorado Hills, California, defied that trend. She played a steady front nine, carding all pars until a bogey on the 8th, which she quickly offset with a birdie on the 9th. The back nine presented challenges, but she rallied with birdies on holes 14 and 17 to secure her victory. Having also birdied the 17th in Saturday’s round, Ransi approached the 420-yard par-4 with confidence—and once again, it paid off.
“This is going to give me some momentum,” said Ransi. “I’ve been working hard on my short game and it really carried me this weekend—hopefully I can keep building from here. It’s so special to be the first girls’ winner in Hawai‘i, and I hope I can come back next year!”
Alyssa Rigby of Vancouver, Washington, turned in a strong performance with rounds of 78–69–74 for a 221 total, finishing just one stroke behind Ransi. She also birdied the par-4 17th hole in both today’s final round and Sunday’s second round. A two-time runner-up in 2025 and winner of the Arizona Women’s Four-Ball Championship in April, Rigby continues to demonstrate consistency and competitive poise as one of the game’s rising young talents.
A total of 78 players competed in Hawai‘i’s inaugural AJGA event, representing 12 states and five countries. The host state was well represented with 18 local juniors (eight boys and ten girls). Makena Yonemura of Waipahu and Keelee Nogawa of ‘Aiea earned top honors among Hawai‘i players, finishing 5th and 6th, respectively.
Yonemura shared her appreciation for the opportunity: “I want to thank Imperial, AJGA, HSGA, and Pearl for hosting this event. The course was very nice and challenging,” she said. “It was great to be able to play this event here in Hawai‘i instead of traveling to the mainland—it gives us a chance to showcase our abilities as we think about playing in college in the future.”
For final results visit: https://www.ajga.org/tournaments/2025/imperial-hawaii-junior-classic-at-pearl-at-kalauao/leaderboard
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