Posted on: Saturday, January 5, 2002
Golf
Plantation's first hole can be a real monster
| • | Toms, Perry ride Kona winds to Mercedes lead |
| • | Yankees’ Torre a hit in Mercedes Pro-Am |
| • | Tournament historical statistics |
By Bill Kwon
Special to The Advertiser
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| First-round leader Mike Weir struggled during his second round of the Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, Maui. Weir, who opened with a 63, shot a 74 yesterday and was two shots off the lead.
Associated Press |
KAPALUA, Maui — No opening hole in Hawai'i is more scenic than the downhill 473-yard par-4 at the Plantation Course. The panoramic view with the ocean and Moloka'i in the background simply takes your breath away.
That it is also the first hole starting the PGA Tour season makes it even more special. If that isn't enough, it's the site of the Mercedes Championships featuring all of the winners from the previous year with Tiger Woods almost always assured of being in the elite field.
So the $4 million event is a golf fan's dream because the world's best players are on hand, up close and personal.
All this and heaven, too.
Well, maybe a little heaven and hell, no thanks to the opposite Kona winds which made the scenic first hole the most difficult on Thursday and the second hardest after two rounds of the 2002 Mercedes Championships.
No. 1 bites back with wind
The first hole might be downhill, but it sure isn't playing downwind.
And what a difference it is with the opposite wind conditions.
Prevailing trades generally make it a nice tune-up hole. Sort of like Eastern Illinois as the University of Hawai'i's 2002 football opener.
"Usually it's a driver and maybe 7- or 8-iron," said Jeff Sluman, describing how he had played the hole two years ago.
Yesterday, with the in-your-face wind, it was driver and 3-wood for everyone. And it's not a hole you want to go into with a 3-wood.
Tiger didn't have to. But after finding one of the left fairway bunkers some 300 yards away, he hit his second shot in the right hazard, took a drop and three-putted from 40 feet for a triple-bogey 7 on his way to a 1-over-par 74.
Tiger's not alone
The horror stories at No. 1 don't end there.
Mark Calcavecchia has played the hole 3-over in the first two rounds. Take that away and he would be at 135 with David Toms and Kenny Perry.
"The fairway's 100 yards wide, but with this Kona wind it's playing long. I had to hit a 3-iron in there today," said Calcavecchia, who made the day's biggest jump from a tie for 21st to a share of fifth with David Duval.
"Yeah, I made a six and a five there and a pair of bogeys on the second hole. Otherwise I'm playing good. I'd like to start with a couple of pars tomorrow."
Scott Hoch, who double-bogeyed the hole yesterday, was also 3-over at No. 1, while Sluman is still looking for his first par there.
"What makes it tough is that it's the opening tee shot. It would be much easier if you had played a couple of holes first," Sluman said.
"It's a difficult hole, the first hole of the round," added Retief Goosen, even though he birdied it two days in a row. "And if you leak it down the right, it's a long second shot in. It's a tough hole, but there are a lot of other tough holes as well."
The U.S. Open champion admitted luck helped. "I got lucky today. I hit a bad (second) shot really. I hit the bank left and it rolled down to a foot."
Ditto for Bob Estes. He had to hole out a sand wedge from 45 yards for his birdie.
Scott McCarron, who played with Estes, Sergio Garcia and Robert Damron came up with the only other birdies at the hole yesterday. Goosen and first-round leader Mike Weir posted the only 3s Thursday.
"The first hole is playing so hard," said Garcia, who hit a 4-iron from 202 yards out to within 15 feet. "I hit it kind of high and didn't think I'd get there."
Sergio likes what he sees
The spectacular view at the opening hole wasn't the only one that caught Garcia's attention.
"The first one, and then the fourth when you look back, the fifth, the sixth. All of them," said Garcia, like any first-time visitor.
He's looking forward to playing in the Sony Open next week at the Waialae Country Club.
"I'm hoping to come back to Hawai'i again this year," said Garcia, well aware that a victory in one of the four majors this year means a trip to Kaua'i for the PGA Grand Slam of Golf in November.
