As Seen On Tv

WHEN SOPHOMORE Tadd Fujikawa came back to Moanalua High School in Honolulu on the Tuesday after Martin Luther King Day, his principal, Robin Martin, greeted him by placing a lei around his neck. The Honolulu mayor, Mufi Hannemann, visited the high school and declared it Tadd Fujikawa Day. And many of his fellow students who had never paid much attention to him were saying things like, "Hey, you're that kid who golfs!"

They might have added "like a professional." Over the previous weekend the 16-year-old Fujikawa had become the youngest player in 50 years to make a cut at a PGA Tour event, at the Sony Open in Honolulu. He ultimately finished tied for 20th, ahead of stars like Vijay Singh and John Daly—had Fujikawa not been an amateur, he would have won about $50,000. By the final day the 5'1" Fujikawa was also the center of attention, followed by droves of fans and featured on SportsCenter highlights. "The whole thing was a dream," says Fujikawa, who shot a five-under 275 after earning his Sony spot in a qualifier for local amateurs.

Fujikawa is not your typical golf prodigy. A native Hawaiian of Japanese descent, he was born three months premature to parents—his mother, Lori, is an office clerk; his father, Derrick, a construction manager—who don't play golf. He was taught the game by his mother's cousin, Judy, at age eight and began playing whenever he could, a habit that continues. "He plays after school, he does his homework and then he practices," Lori says. "You never have to tell him to do anything."

Fujikawa wants to play pro golf someday but says he's in no hurry. ("Maybe when I'm 21.") For now he plans to play in junior amateur events—and when his schedule permits, with his high school. Last year he finished third in the state tournament, his school 12th. "The Number 5 player on the team shoots in the 90s, but it doesn't matter," says Fujikawa. "We're all friends. It's fun to be on a team."

MOANALUA HIGH
Honolulu