Thunderstorms put a halt to the wild day of defending champion Casey Watabu of Kapa'a, Kaua'i, at the U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship in Wheaton, Ill.

Watabu recorded a 10 on a par-5 hole en route to an 8-over 80 in the completion of his rain-suspended first round early yesterday. He then had five birdies on the front nine of his second round later to get back into contention for match play. However, on the back nine, he gave three shots back with a double bogey on his 10th and a bogey on his 12th (he started on the back nine).

That's when thunderstorms came and suspended play for the second consecutive day, leaving Watabu at 6-over for the tournament and in danger of missing the cut.

The low 64 scores after two rounds of stroke play advance to match play. The final is on Saturday.

Three other Hawai'i golfers never got started yesterday.

Sean Maekawa, of Pa'auilo, Hawai'i, shot an even-par 72 Monday and is in the top 10.

Samuel Cyr of Makawao, Maui, shot 78, and Layne Morita of Kapa'a, Kaua'i, opened with an 84 Monday.

Max Bonk of Waimea, Hawai'i, completed his first round yesterday, shooting a 9-over 81, and later shot 2-over 74 in his second round for a 155 total, and was tied for 122nd.

Watabu played just one hole Monday before thunderstorms took over at Cantigny Golf Club, forcing play to be suspended with 78 of the 156 players on the course.

Only 26 of the 155 competitors — one player withdrew yesterday — managed to complete their second round of stroke-play qualifying on the 7,048-yard, par-72 layout.

Round 2 will resume today with the first round of match play to follow.

Daniel Woltman, 20, of Beaver Dam, Wis., is the current leader in the clubhouse for medalist honors at even-par 144 after carding a 1-under-par 71 in Round 2.

First-round leader Carlos Estanislao Goya, 19, of Argentina, who shot a 68, is 3-over through 15 holes and stands at 1-under par.

Last year, Watabu defeated Anthony Kim of Traverse City, Mich., 4 and 3, to win the 36-hole championship match at the 2006 U.S. Amateur Public Links Championship at Gold Mountain Golf Club. Kim is now a rookie on the PGA Tour.

Watabu became the fourth player from Hawai'i to win the APL and the first since Guy Yamamoto in 1994.

STATE JUNIORS

Kelli Oride defended her title yesterday, capturing the Girls 13-14 division of the King Auto Group Hawai'i State Junior Championship a second straight year. The Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association event for older players (12-unders played last month on O'ahu) was held the past two days at Club at Hokuli'a on the Big Island.

Oride, from Lihu'e, won by nine shots last year and three this year, over Casey Isagawa. Oride shot 76 both days, while Isagawa shot 77—155.

Maui's Elyse Okada won the Girls 15-18 division, shooting a 75 yesterday for a total of 5-over-par 149. That was three shots better than Honolulu's Cyd Okino (74—152) and 10 ahead of Kaua'i's Miki Ueoka (82—159).

O'ahu's Lorens Chan (13-14) and Kaua'i's T.J. Kua (15-18) won the boys' titles, both with even-par 144 totals. Chan shot a 71 yesterday to beat Alex Chiarella by nine shots. Kua, who finished second in the state high school championship, shot a pair of 72s to win by four over Bradley Shigezawa. Alex Ching, the 2006 HSJGA state champion, shared third with Taeksoo Kim at 150.

TEXAS OPEN

Nicole Sakamoto of Honolulu shot an 8-over-par 80 yesterday and was tied for ninth at the Valero Texas Open Junior Shootout at San Antonio.

Sakamoto, who will be a senior at Kalani High, had one birdie and nine pars.

Felicia Espericueta of Edinburg, Texas, shot 73 for a three-stroke lead in the American Junior Golf Association event.

Waiakea High junior Henry Park shot a 2-over-par 74, with three birdies and 10 pars, and was tied for 16th in the boys division.

Robert Mayo of Austin, Texas, shot 68 for a one-stroke lead.