WAIKOLOA, Hawai'i — Sean Maekawa earned the win he wanted most yesterday, finishing with a record flourish. T.J. Kua chased him long and hard enough to help Kamehameha to the team title at the David S. Ishii Foundation/HHSAA State Boys Golf Championship.

Maekawa, the first to win four Big Island Interscholastic Federation titles, is now Honoka'a's first state golf champion. He scorched the Waikoloa Kings' course for a 4-under-par 68 and a four-shot victory over Kua, a junior who was also second two years ago. Maekawa was second last year to Kaimuki's Chan Kim, who moved to Arizona this semester.

The Honoka'a senior left little to chance yesterday. His two-day total of 9-under 135 tied the tournament record set in 1998 by Jim Seki. This is the 42nd year of the state championship, which has been won by the likes of Lance Suzuki, Stan Souza, Kalua Makalena, Greg Meyer, Parker McLachlin and David Ishii.

"It's funny, I wrote down a bunch of goals on a piece of paper when I was maybe 10, a bunch of tournaments I wanted to win," Maekawa recalled. "It's hanging up on my wall right now. This is the first one I've won. There's about 11 or 12 more."

He was the only golfer to break par in the final round, though the Kings' course remained calm a second straight day — a week after it blew wildly for the girls championship. Still, his lead was just two through 14 holes.

On the 15th, Kua three-putted for bogey and Maekawa drained a 20-footer from off the green to double his advantage.

Kua knew it was over. "His whole game is just amazing to me," he said of Maekawa. "He's an awesome player to win the state."

The four-shot gap took the spark out of their individual fireworks on the finishing holes, but those still proved priceless to Kamehameha.

Maekawa followed his long birdie putt with a short one on the next hole, sticking his approach 6 feet from the pin. He closed his high school career — Maekawa is headed to Oregon on a golf scholarship — with a two-putt birdie on the 475-yard finishing hole.

"You've just got to relax and let everything come to you," said Maekawa, who considers Kings' his home course. "I tried to put all my thoughts into that one shot I'm about to hit. Get it in the fairway, and do the same thing again. Get on the green and same thing with the putt.

"It's grueling out there. Your body ... you just feel you want to rest for a second, but I just told myself fight hard to the end."

Kua, nephew of tournament sponsor Ishii, birdied the final two holes and three of his last five for a 72. Those three became the Warriors' winning margin over Punahou, which went into the final round with a one-shot lead.

Kamehameha shot a final-round 304 (best four-of-five scores) to win its second state title, both in the last six years. All the Warriors will be back. Kua is team captain. Freshmen Alika Bell (76—148), the ILH champion, and Thomas Yamashita (74—151) also finished in the top 20.

"Mentally there was a big difference from yesterday," Kamehameha coach Wesley Wailehua said. "They knew where they wanted to be. Their emotions, since they're so young, make them feel that they have to drive to that higher standard that T.J. has. Because they are such a close-knit team they don't want to let each other down."

Punahou closed with 599, its best rounds a pair of 75s from freshman Bradley Shigezawa (145) and sophomore Colton Knedler (149), with senior Jonathan Khil (77—148) also finishing in the top 20.

Maryknoll (316—618) took third to give the ILH the top three spots. Spartan sophomore Alex Chu shared second after 12 holes, but played the final holes in 4-over and fell to sixth behind Pono Calip (73—143), Michael Jay Sato (75—145) and Henry Park (72—146).

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.