Game's greatest give Kapalua dry run

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

They'll begin chasing Tiger Woods today in the PGA's season-opening Mercedes Championships at Kapalua, Maui. Eric Risberg • Associated Press WHAT: PGA Tour season-opening event, featuring 30 of the 2003 tournament champions WHERE: Kapalua Plantation Course (Par 36-37—73, 7,263 yards) WHEN: 10:30 a.m. today through Sunday PURSE: $5.3 million ($1,060,000 first prize, plus a Mercedes-Benz SL500 and Tiffany Trophy) 2003 CHAMPION: Ernie Els (31-under 261) TICKETS: Season tickets $70. Daily prices $20 today or tomorrow, $30 Saturday or Sunday. Children (16-under) free with ticket-holding adult. TV: ESPN, 2 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. today through Saturday, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday.

The world's greatest golfers, from 14 to 50-something, played the Mercedes Championships Pro-Am yesterday under an impossibly blue sky that never hinted at the ridiculous amount of rain that rocked the resort last week and threatened to impact today's opening round. The course has recovered from the 13 inches of water it soaked up Thursday to Saturday. It averages 35 inches a year.

"If this was any other golf course, we'd be looking for alternative dates to play this tournament," PGA Tour official Jon Brendle said, citing the dramatic elevation changes and slopes for Plantation's miraculous mop-up.

Tiger Woods teed off first yesterday and Annika Sorenstam last. Michelle Wie, Punahou School's freshman prodigy, went in between. First, she took time to chat up Woods and defending champion Ernie Els. Last, she walked down the 18th fairway with her pro, John Huston, while her amateur partners displayed a cart with "Wie are So Excited" in the windshield.

Wie shot a 3-under 70 only "because it was automatic par ... if it wasn't, I don't even want to think what I had."

Woods suggested he and Wie get together later for a driving contest — "but you can't beat me." Els, the "Big Easy," dangled an invitation to the "Big Wiesy" to play a practice round Tuesday at Waialae Country Club, with 2002 Mercedes champion Sergio Garcia.

Sorenstam, the world's finest female golfer and Golf World's No. 1 Newsmaker of 2003 for her memorable stopover on the PGA Tour, asked Wie if she was ready for her tour debut at next week's Sony Open in Hawai'i.

"I said I don't know," Wie said. "Next week will be really hectic. More hectic than all last year put together. It's different. You feel more nervous when it's your first time trying something and I always wanted to play the Sony Open. It's been a dream of mine."

Wie's goal next week is to make the cut. "I'll be very glad if I do," she said. "But if I don't, then there's next week."

When you're 14, there is always next week. Wie's ultimate goal, she told the media masses yesterday, is to play on the LPGA and PGA tours and in the Masters. Sorenstam's advice for next week was to enjoy the moment, and soak it all up.

"Experience matters a lot," Sorenstam said. "She doesn't have that much experience. She's going to get there and have a ton of experience. Her game is probably going to be enough one of these days (for both tours). But she's 14. She needs to learn and have fun, that's all I can say."

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TODAY'S TEE TIMES First Round 11:00 a.m. Retief Goosen, Chad Campbell 11:10 a.m. Stuart Appleby, Shigeki Maruyama 11:20 a.m. Tommy Armour III, John Huston 11:30 a.m. Bob Tway, J.L. Lewis 11:40 a.m. Kirk Triplett, Adam Scott 11:50 a.m. Shaun Micheel, Darren Clarke 12:00 p.m. Craig Stadler, Peter Jacobsen 12:10 p.m. Jonathan Kaye, Ben Curtis 12:20 p.m. Rory Sabbatini, Jim Furyk 12:30 p.m. Steve Flesch, Kenny Perry 12:40 p.m. Ben Crane, Fred Couples 12:50 p.m. Scott Hoch, Justin Leonard 1:00 p.m. Tiger Woods, Frank Lickliter II 1:10 p.m. Mike Weir, Davis Love III 1:20 p.m. Ernie Els, Vijay Singh

They wonder if the gap between Woods and the rest of the tour is shrinking. They wonder if anyone can carve another 31-under-par total across Plantation's vast canvas, as Els did last year. They wonder why Wie isn't playing more tournaments she can win.

"I think it's neat she's playing next week. I wished her all the luck in the world," Woods said. "I think it's a good experience to obviously move up and play against people who are better than you. You do learn that way. But I also look at the philosophy, too, you need to play and win, learn the art of winning. My dad was a big believer in that."

He learned well, through an unmatched amateur career and 39 PGA victories going into this year. The rest of the tour is chasing, and hopes it is closing the gap.

"I think Tiger is still the No. 1 player in the world," Els said. "You come into a week, you want to try to play the best golf that you can play, but when he's on his game, he's still the guy to beat.

"I think the Tiger effect is not as strong as it used to be, maybe three, four years ago. Guys go into a week and feel if they play their games it might be enough."

There might be only one guy who disagrees.

"I look at it this way," Woods says. "If I'm playing well, I like my chances against anybody. That's the way I've always felt when I've played well. Obviously, when I'm not playing well, anybody can beat me. Even you."

Even who? That won't be answered until Sunday, if at all.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com or 525-8043.