KAHUKU, Oahu - Sam Cyr, a King Kekaulike High School graduate and two-time NAIA champion at Point Loma Nazarene University, won the Hawaii State Open by three strokes on Sunday at the Turtle Bay George Fazio Course.
Cyr fired a 6-under-par 66 for his second win of the season and third of his pro career. He won the Maui Open in August and the Mid-Pac Open in 2010.
On Sunday, he beat PGA Tour winner Dean Wilson of Kaneohe down the stretch, playing with him in the final group. Cyr won similarly to how he claimed the Mid-Pac crown.
"Playing with a guy who has done what Dean has, and being able to beat him, gives me a ton of confidence," Cyr said.
Cyr finished at 6-under 207 after playing the first two rounds of the event on the Arnold Palmer Course.
"Different course today, but it was blowing pretty good, playing tough," Cyr said. "I played real solid. It was tough, it was windy, there were a couple quick downpours."
Cyr said the win "validates" his year after he bowed out of PGA Tour Q-School in the first stage, after two straight years of finishing in the second stage.
"For sure, it definitely did validate my year," Cyr said. "Starting a new year and knowing that I have been working on the right things and fortunate that I can keep moving forward. Two wins on the season is big."
Cyr said the next action on his calendar is qualifying for the Asian Tour - the back-to-back stages begin Jan. 11 in Thailand.
"I am going to go to the Asian Tour and try to do that gig," Cyr said. "It is growing really fast and getting big. I can get some world ranking points and maybe more opportunities."
Cyr made three long putts Sunday, estimating them at 18, 25 and 30 feet. He made three birdies from holes 4-7 and then made three in a row from 12-14.
"The putter was working with me today, it didn't work with me too much the last two days," Cyr said. "With God's grace I made the ones I should and I made couple big ones. I made some footage of putts today. I definitely rolled the pill really well and that made the difference."
Cyr won $12,000, the second-largest check of his career.
