Irwin's win his seventh in Hawai'i
| • | Irwin captures Turtle Bay event by 3 |
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
KAHUKU — With his three-stroke victory in the inaugural Turtle Bay Championship yesterday, Hale Irwin showed that he can win a golf tournament no matter the venue in Hawai'i.
It's the seventh time he has won in the 50th State. Besides Turtle Bay, Irwin captured the Ka'anapali Classic twice on Maui, the 1997 MasterCard Championship at Hualalai on the Big Island, the 1991 Hawaiian Open at the Waialae Country Club and the Senior Skins Game, an unofficial Senior PGA Tour event, at Mauna Lani in 1999 and at Wailea this past January.
Talk about Hawai'i being a "home" course advantage.
"I'm just comfortable playing in Hawai'i," said the three-time U.S. Open champion, who represents the Kapalua Bay Resort on tour. And finding a comfort zone and being used to playing in the wind helped, he added.
Irwin joined all of the other players in praising the par-72 Arnold Palmer Course at the North Shore resort. The Turtle Bay Championship replaced the Ka'anapali Classic on the Senior Tour schedule just seven month ago.
The change of venue didn't prevent Irwin from defending the title he won last year.
"I think this is a better golf course and I like the challenge of the golf course," Irwin said. "From a player's perspective, it's a super layout."
"This is among the top five courses on the whole Senior Tour," added John Jacobs, whose second-place finish was his best showing of the year. "And the fairways are the best we've played all year."
Walt Morgan, a former Army sergeant who was based at Schofield Barracks and now in his 10th year on the Senior Tour, said he's glad that the event is now on O'ahu.
Amazing makeover
"This is my favorite island," said Morgan. "I was stationed here, so this is my favorite place. It's a good move."
There were more than a few anxious moments seven months ago when the venue was changed after the owners of the Ka'anapali Resort decided to stop holding the event. There were worries that the Palmer Course, especially the greens, wouldn't be ready in time.
"I came out here in August and didn't think they would have a chance to get the golf course ready. I've been just amazed what they've done in the last 2 1/2 months," said Kailua's Larry Stubblefield, a Monday qualifier who finished tied for 56th to earn $2,775.
Bob Murphy, wire-to-wire winner at the 1994 Ka'anapali Classic, thought the course still needed a lot more work.
"It's not ready for tournament play, but I think it's a much, much better course (than Ka'anapali)," he said. "But, at the same time, it's a good place and they're working on the hotel, so it's a positive thing."
Former Hawaiian Open champions Howard Twitty and Hubert Green, who won back-to-back titles at Waialae in 1978 and '79 for two of his 19 victories on the regular tour, believed the greens were more than adequate.
"A few areas looked a little rugged, but they putted smooth. So that wasn't bad," Green said. "And they had more gallery here than they had at Ka'anapali. What the heck, they even sold tickets."
"The greens weren't too bad. I made a lot of putts, so I can't complain," added Twitty. "But I miss Maui."
Turtle Bay Resort is committed to having the event through 2004.
"Overall, I think it went well for the first time," said Dennis Rose, director of golf.
"It all came together in a very short time. I'm really impressed," said Mark Rolfing, who did the television commentary for CNBC. "This golf course was so good that it overshadowed any other deficiencies. It's the best course on O'ahu and the back nine is one of the best on the Senior Tour."
Bill Kwon can be reached at bkwon@aloha.net.
