Honolulu's Tadd Fujikawa, 18, will be back in the Sony Open in Hawai'i.

Fujikawa, who played in the past two Sony Opens, qualified yesterday by earning one of the four qualifying spots at the par-72, 7,128-yard Turtle Bay's Palmer Course.

"I feel pretty good," said Fujikawa, a Moanalua High School senior. "I'm very excited about being back at Sony.

"I've been really, really working hard. All the help from coaches and support from family and friends and all my hard work is paying off."

Fujikawa shot 33-34—67 and tied for top honors with San Diego's Alex Aragon and Japan's Jumpei Takayama.

John Lepak, who shot 35-33—68, won in a playoff to earn the fourth spot.

Lepak beat Derek Lamely (Fort Myers, Fla.) and Jay Williamson (St. Louis) by recording a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th.

Another Hawai'i golfer, Jarret Hamamoto of Hilo, shot 36-35—71 and did not qualify.

Fujikawa earned his spot in dramatic fashion, recording a birdie on the par-5 final hole.

"I didn't hit my drive far up enough where I could go for the green so I had to lay up," he said.

He then hit his wedge shot to two feet of the hole and drained the putt for a birdie.

"I figured 67 would be close to the number," he said. "I knew I had to make birdie to have a good chance."

Fujikawa had a bogey-free round with birdies on Nos. 3, 6, 9, 14 and 18.

In 2007, Fujikawa, then a Moanalua High School sophomore, shocked the golf world by becoming the youngest to make a tour cut in 50 years.

He shot successive 66s in the second and third rounds and finished at 5-under 275 to tie for 20th. Since he was an amateur then, he could not collect a $54,000 paycheck. Fujikawa eventually turned pro in July 2007 but has yet to make a cut as a professional while competing in tournaments on the PGA, Nationwide, Japan and Europe tours.

Still, he remains confident going into the Sony Open, which will be played Thursday through Sunday at Waialae Country Club.

"I'm working hard on my game. I'm going to go in there the same way I look at any other tournament," he said. "I'm going to go out to win, not to make the cut."

Fujikawa's only victory last year was the Mid-Pacific tournament, a local event.

"This is my dream. I wanna do it. I'm going to do anything to accomplish that and I'm really going to have fun doing it," he said.

Wilson teams up with Mauna Lani Resort: Dean Wilson, a Castle High alum and former Kane'ohe resident who now resides in Las Vegas, will represent the Mauna Lani Resort on the Big Island beginning with the 2009 season.

Wilson is a seven-year veteran of the PGA Tour with 25 top 10 finishes, including his win in 2006 at The International. In 2008, he appeared 32 times on tour with two top three finishes and more than $1.3 million in earnings, placing him 39th in the FedEx Cup standings.

McLachlin, Wilson to golf with juniors: Parker McLachlin and Dean Wilson, the only Hawai'i golfers on the PGA Tour, will compete today in the Pro-Junior Skills Challenge at Waialae Country Club, starting at 3 p.m.

Jerry Kelly, Davis Love III and Steve Stricker round out the pro players who will be teammed with Hawai'i juniors in events that include a trick shot, bunker shot and long downhill putt.

The local juniors will be Kelli Oride, Justin Keiley, Alika Bell, Cassy Isagawa and David Fink.

Oride is a sophomore at Kaua'High School and 2008 KIF champion; Keiley, an honor student at Baldwin High School and 2008 Maui Interscholastic League champion and state runner-up; Bell, a Kamehameha junior who also competes in football, basketball and track; Isagawa, a Baldwin sophomore who shot a record 68 at the Puakea Golf Course; Funk, an 'Iolani senior who won the 2008 Hawai'i State Junior Championship and the 2006 Interscholastic League of Honolulu championship.