Playing in the rough

Bryce Alderton

She has felt the weight of an entire nation on her shoulders. In

Friday’s Tea Cup Classic VII, Costa Mesa’s Akemi Khaiat will again

have eyes watching her, especially those of friends, golfing partners

and family members from Mesa Verde Country Club.

Mesa Verde’s two-time defending women’s club champion will compete

with course champions Marianne Towersey (Santa Ana Country Club),

Debbie Albright (Newport Beach Country Club) and Sally Holstein (Big

Canyon Country Club) for the Tea Cup title in the 18-hole,

stroke-play event set to begin at 1:30 p.m. on her home course.

Khaiat, born in Tokyo and the co-captain of the Japanese national

team in 1998 when it competed in the World Amateur championship in

Santiago, Chile, said she feels some pressure playing on her home

course.

“I feel like I have Mesa Verde on my shoulders,” said Khaiat, who,

along with husband Laurent and 2-year-old son Anthony, lives in a

house that backs up to Mesa Verde. “I’ll be nervous. I’m just going

to play one shot at a time and do my best. It’s more pressure than in

a regular tournament.”

Khaiat, 40, has played in her share of tournaments, including the

U.S Women’s Mid-Amateur Championship last fall when she took

first-round medalist honors. She also finished with medalist honors

in the tournament in 1996. She has competed on the Japanese national

team several times, even winning a prestigious state tournament in

her native country.

With Anthony though, Khaiat decided to limit her national

tournament appearances this year to spend more time with him, but

plans to enter more events next year.

That’s not to say she hasn’t spent considerable time at Mesa

Verde, where she takes lessons from Tom Sargent, the club’s head

professional.

She also has been working with a personal trainer and said she has

added 10 to 15 yards to her drives compared to the same time last

year.

“Working with the trainer was initially designed to help lower my

cholesterol, do some [cardiovascular] exercises and eventually ended

up with full-body workouts,” Khaiat said. “It helped me get stronger

and hit the ball longer. This year I’ve had more time to focus on my

game and feel much more confident in it.”

Her game was good enough to claim the women’s club championship at

famed Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, where Khaiat is also

a member, in June. She shot 76-75-79-74-74 to finish less than 10

strokes over par.

“It was much tougher than [winning the Mesa Verde championship],”

Khaiat recalled. “The two girls were of national-level quality, so I

was very happy with my scores. The opportunity to play both courses

has helped my game. Both courses have kikuyu [grass] for the rough

around the greens so I’ve learned how to play with that. At Mesa

Verde you can’t land your chip shot in front of the green and have it

roll on. You have to hit the ball on the very front of the green.

“The greens have been very funny. They are quite difficult to

read. There have been so many changes in the weather and they just

got vertically cut.”

Khaiat often takes Anthony with her to the range to practice,

introducing him to golf at an early age, much like her own

upbringing.

Her mother, Masako, and father, Eigi, introduced Khaiat to golf

when she was 3. At times, Khaiat dreaded practice, but she has

learned its value.

“[Eigi] was very strict,” Khaiat said. “He always made me practice

and I hated it sometimes. But now I appreciate it because I wouldn’t

be where I’m at if he didn’t push me.”

Anthony likes golf already, Khaiat said, but she doesn’t want to

force anything on him.

“When I practice putting he comes with me and hits the balls

around,” Khaiat said. “We take him on No. 1 and No. 2. It is a chance

for me to practice and I appreciate that.”

Khaiat plans to compete in the U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur

Championship in October at the Long Cove Golf Club in Hilton Head,

S.C.. Last week she missed qualifying for next month’s U.S. Women’s

Amateur by two strokes. Towersey, who won the Women’s California

State Championship in May, also missed qualifying for the Women’s

Amateur at MVCC last week.

The two were tied after the first day for medalist honors at the

state championship, forcing a sudden-death playoff, won by Khaiat.

“I had never [had a sudden-death playoff],” Khaiat said. “The next

day, I lost in my first-round match. Marianne is a great player, but

so is Sally and Debbie. I know everyone and have played with them

many times. I know how they all play, but I will try to concentrate

on my own game.”