Posted on: Tuesday, January 13, 2004
A look back: 2002
After 200 tries, Kelly earns a first
Advertiser Staff
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| Jerry Kelly took home $720,000 after earning his first PGA Tour victory.
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Kelly shot even-par 70 on the final day to finish at 14-under 266 and beat 1992 Hawaiian Open champion John Cook (69) by a shot at Waialae Country Club.
On a breathtakingly beautiful day, almost an entire golf tour was flustered by precarious pin placements and a suddenly wicked Waialae. Of the 14 golfers in the top 10 the day before, only two — Cook and K.J. Choi — broke par. By one shot.
"It was a tough day to play golf," Cook said. "It was the way it should be on Sunday. The course was fast, the pins were tucked, the wind blew at just the odd angle where it wasn't comfortable.
"It was tough to get into the little corners where the pins were. I don't think the membership plays these pins very often. The grain was pretty substantial in those spots where they put the pins."
Kelly rolled with Waialae's punches and just kept rolling. A four-year swing fix suddenly paying dividends kept him confident. The tough pin placements convinced him to play conservative. He found safe landings and kept barely missing the 20-foot birdie putts that ensued.
| Jan. 7-13 | |||
| Player | 1-2-3-4—Total | Par | Purse |
| Jerry Kelly | 66-65-65-70—266 | -14 | $720,000 |
| John Cook | 66-62-70-69—267 | -13 | $432,000 |
| Jay Don Blake | 69-67-68-65—269 | -11 | $272,000 |
| Matt Kuchar | 69-69-66-67—270 | -10 | $165,333.34 |
| Charles Howell III | 72-62-66-70—270 | -10 | $165,333.34 |
| David Toms | 68-67-63-72—270 | -10 | $165,333.34 |
| Tommy Armour III | 68-70-68-65—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| David Peoples | 72-68-66-65—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| Joel Edwards | 70-66-68-67—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| K.J. Choi | 68-65-69-69—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| Stephen Ames | 67-67-66-71—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| Jim Furyk | 69-66-64-72—271 | -9 | $112,333.34 |
| Fred Funk | 68-65-69-70—272 | -8 | $75,000 |
| Brad Elder | 68-64-70-70—272 | -8 | $75,000 |
| Chris Riley | 65-67-68-72—272 | -8 | $75,000 |
| Luke Donald | 69-67-66-70—272 | -8 | $75,000 |
