PGA takes on Wie, Waialae

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

Stuart Appleby, who won the Mercedes Championships last week, says the Sony Open is a "perfect event" for Michelle Wie. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Stuart Appleby scorched Waialae Country Club for a 7-under-par 63 last time he saw it. He collected more than $1 million Sunday with his Mercedes Championships win just down the island chain.

Seven guys with Hawai'i ties and seven more from among the Top 10 on last year's money list are here, giving Sony its most intriguing field.

Yet "You the Man" is rolling off few lips. "You the Girl" would be more appropriate since 14-year-old Michelle Wie is creating all the pre-tournament hype.

Appleby characterized this as "the perfect event" for Wie to play, praising the sponsor's choice of place and time. The Punahou School freshman, who tees off on a sponsor's exemption at 8:59 on the 10th tee, will be the fourth female to play on the PGA Tour.

The first was Babe Didrikson Zaharias, who made the last of her four starts in 1945. Annika Sorenstam (2003 Bank of America Colonial) and Suzy Whaley (Greater Hartford Open) played last year, when Wie was becoming the U.S. Golf Association's youngest open champion (Women's Public Links) and finishing in the Top 10 at her first LPGA major.

"We've had the extreme," Appleby explained. "We've had the elite of women's golf playing on the Tour. Now we have the beginning of women's golf at the other end. I think you can't fill in between. You can't do anything else. You can't have another.

"No one else can come on Tour and do any better job than what she (Wie) is going to do. Not so much how she'll play, but who she is, what she is and who she could be."

After all that, and experiencing the brutal weather conditions at Waialae yesterday, Appleby said he felt "two nice scores in the 80s" would be realistic for Wie today and tomorrow. "A lot of pros won't break 80 if the conditions are like this," he added.

Appleby won last week at Kapalua's Plantation Course by averaging more than seven birdies a day and a tournament-low 1.618 putts per green. He believes Waialae "demands more" than the Plantation in terms of driving accuracy and "shaping" the ball to fit the fairways and find the flags.

Els finished in a tie for 21st last week, at 4-under-par 288. A year earlier he won the Mercedes with a 31-under score that shattered the Tour's scoring record. Els admitted it might have been too much to live up to.

"It was kind of strange because even the spectators were saying, 'Are we going to see a minus-32?' " Els said. "It's a little different this week. I think it will be a little easier to defend. You haven't got that 'minus 31' in the back of your mind. You've just got to go out there and try to play the golf course."

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

Sony Open in Hawai'i

WHAT: First full-field PGA Tour event of the year

WHEN: Today through Sunday, from 7 a.m. today and tomorrow, and 8 a.m. Saturday and Sunday

WHERE: Waialae Country Club (Par 35-35i70, 7,068 yards)

PURSE: $4.8 million ($864,000 first prize)

FIELD: 144 players, including defending champion Ernie Els

TODAY'S TEE TIMES FOR HAWAI'I GOLFERS:

• Dean Wilson 7:38 a.m. 1st tee
• Greg Meyer 8:50 a.m. 1st tee
• Jonathan Ota-a 8:32 a.m. 10th tee
• David Ishii 8:50 a.m. 10th tee
• Michelle Wie-a 8:59 a.m. 10th tee
• Kevin Hayashi 8:59 a.m. 10th tee
• Ron Castillo Jr. 1:06 p.m., 10th tee

WEATHER FORECAST:

• Today: Partly sunny and breezy at times. A few sprinkles possible. Winds from the west-northwest at 5-15 mph.
• Tomorrow: Mostly sunny and pleasant. Light trade winds 5-10 mph.

ADMISSION: $15 daily or $50 for season badge. Children 12-under free with ticket-bearing adult.

TV: ESPN, 1:30 to 4 p.m. today, 2 to 4:30 p.m. tomorrow, 2 to 5:30 p.m. Saturday and 2:30 to 5 p.m. Sunday

INFORMATION: 523-7888

Source for weather forecast: The Weather Channel

Sony Open in Hawai'i Tee times

Boldface indicates players with ties to Hawai'i

a—amateur

TODAY

First tee

• 7:20 a.m.—Cameron Beckman, Guy Boros, John Maginnes.
• 7:29—Carlos Franco, Grant Waite, Jeff Brehaut.
• 7:38—Esteban Toledo, Pat Perez, Dean Wilson.
• 7:47—Frank Lickliter II, Spike McRoy, Matt Kuchar.
• 7:56—Scott Hoch, Jonathan Byrd, Paul Azinger.
• 8:05—Stuart Appleby, J.P. Hayes, Jeff Sluman.
• 8:14—Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Craig Perks.
• 8:23—Duffy Waldorf, John Senden, Michael Allen.
• 8:32—Dan Olsen, Daniel Chopra, Kenichi Kuboya.
• 8:41—Vaughn Taylor, David Brandshaw, Arjun Atwal.
• 8:50—Brad Lardon, Jason Dufner, Greg Meyer.
• 8:59—Lucas Glover, Kris Cox, Tetsuji Hiratsuka.
• 11:45—Scott Simpson, Joe Ogilvie, John Riegger.
• 11:54—David Peoples, Skip Kendall, Brett Quigley.
• 12:03 p.m.—Omar Uresti, Steve Allan, Aaron Baddeley.
• 12:12—Chad Campbell, Gene Sauers, Chris Riley.
• 12:21—John Huston, Peter Jacobsen, Joe Durant.
• 12:30—Shigeki Maruyama, Kenny Perry, Tim Herron.
• 12:39—Retief Goosen, Shaun Micheel, Robert Gamez.
• 12:48—Jeff Maggert, Heath Slocum, Zach Johnson.
• 12:57—Mark Hensby, Ken Duke, Jason Bohn.
• 1:06—Ryan Palmer, Tjaart Van der Walt, Hideto Tanihara.
• 1:15—Tripp Isenhour, Hunter Mahan, Myung Jun Park.
• 1:24—Rich Barcelo, Andre Stolz, Bobby Kalinowki.

10th tee

• 7:20 a.m.—Tom Pernice Jr., Russ Cochran, Rod Pampling.
• 7:29—Blaine McCallister, Briny Baird, Brian Gay.
• 7:38—Notah Begay III, Pat Bates, Carl Pettersson.
• 7:47—Tommy Armour III, Craig Stadler, Fred Funk.
• 7:56—Jonathan Kaye, Loren Roberts, Jerry Kelly.
• 8:05—Steve Flesch, Bob Burns, Corey Pavin.
• 8:14—Ben Curtis, Rory Sabbatini, Darren Clarke.
• 8:23—Woody Austin, Craig Barlow, Brenden Pappas.
• 8:32—Roland Thatcher, Hirofumi Miyase, Jonathan Ota-a
• 8:41—Ted Purdy, Kevin Muncrief, Yusaku Miyazato.
• 8:50—Brian Batemen, Brian Kortan, David Ishii.
• 8:59—Craig Bowden, Michelle Wie-a, Kevin Hayashi.
• 11:45—Olin Browne, Richard Johnson, Bart Bryant.
• 11:54—John Morse, Stephen Ames, Hidemichi Tanaka.
• 12:03 p.m.—Harrison Frazar, Todd Fischer, Danny Briggs.
• 12:12—Jim Furyk, Chris Smith, Tom Lehman.
• 12:21—Ben Crane, Ernie Els, John Cook.
• 12:30—Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Charles Howell III.
• 12:39—Brent Geiberger, Tim Petrovic, Patrick Sheehan.
• 12:48—Jesper Parnevik, Tom Byrun, Tom Carter.
• 12:57—David Morland IV, Bo Van Pelt, Todd Hamilton.
• 1:06—Chris Couch, Wes Short Jr., Ron Castillo Jr.
• 1:15—Dave Eichelberger, Scott Hend, Kevin Na.
• 1:24—D.J. Brigman, Roger Tambellini, Boyd Summerhays.

TOMORROW

First tee

• 720 a.m.—Olin Browne, Richard Johnson, Bart Bryant.
• 7:29—John Morse, Stephen Ames, Hidemichi Tanaka.
• 7:38—Harrison Frazar, Todd Fischer, Danny Briggs.
• 7:47—Jim Furyk, Chris Smith, Tom Lehman.
• 7:56—Ben Crane, Ernie Els, John Cook.
• 8:05—Adam Scott, Luke Donald, Charles Howell III.
• 8:14—Brent Geiberger, Tim Petrovic, Patrick Sheehan.
• 8:23—Jesper Parnevik, Tom Byrun, Tom Carter.
• 8:32—David Morland IV, Bo Van Pelt, Todd Hamilton.
• 8:41—Chris Couch, Wes Short Jr., Ron Castillo Jr.
• 8:50—Dave Eichelberger, Scott Hend, Kevin Na.
• 8:59—D.J. Brigman, Roger Tambellini, Boyd Summerhays.
• 11:45—Tom Pernice Jr., Russ Cochran, Rod Pampling.
• 11:54—Blaine McCallister, Briny Baird, Brian Gay.
• 12:03 p.m.—Notah Begay III, Pat Bates, Carl Pettersson.
• 12:12—Tommy Armour III, Craig Stadler, Fred Funk.
• 12:21—Jonathan Kaye, Loren Roberts, Jerry Kelly.
• 12:30—Steve Flesch, Bob Burns, Corey Pavin.
• 12:39—Ben Curtis, Rory Sabbatini, Darren Clarke.
• 12:48—Woody Austin, Craig Barlow, Brenden Pappas.
• 12:57—Roland Thatcher, Hirofumi Miyase, Jonathan Ota-a.
• 1:06—Ted Purdy, Kevin Muncrief, Yusaku Miyazato.
• 1:15—Brian Batemen, Brian Kortan, David Ishii.
• 1:24—Craig Bowden, Michelle Wie-a, Kevin Hayashi.

10th tee

• 7:20 a.m.—Scott Simpson, Joe Ogilvie, John Riegger.
• 7:29—David Peoples, Skip Kendall, Brett Quigley.
• 7:38—Omar Uresti, Steve Allan, Aaron Baddeley.
• 7:47—Chad Campbell, Gene Sauers, Chris Riley.
• 7:56—John Huston, Peter Jacobsen, Joe Durant.
• 8:05—Shigeki Maruyama, Kenny Perry, Tim Herron.
• 8:14—Retief Goosen, Shaun Micheel, Robert Gamez.
• 8:23—Jeff Maggert, Heath Slocum, Zach Johnson.
• 8:32—Mark Hensby, Ken Duke, Jason Bohn.
• 8:41—Ryan Palmer, Tjaart Van der Walt, Hideto Tanihara.
• 8:50—Tripp Isenhour, Hunter Mahan, Myung Jun Park.
• 8:59—Rich Barcelo, Andre Stolz, Bobby Kalinowki.
• 11:45—Cameron Beckman, Guy Boros, John Maginnes.
• 11:54—Carlos Franco, Grant Waite, Jeff Brehaut.
• 12:03 p.m.—Esteban Toledo, Pat Perez, Dean Wilson.
• 12:12—Frank Lickliter II, Spike McRoy, Matt Kuchar.
• 12:21—Scott Hoch, Jonathan Byrd, Paul Azinger.
• 12:30—Stuart Appleby, J.P. Hayes, Jeff Sluman.
• 12:39—Vijay Singh, Davis Love III, Craig Perks.
• 12:48—Duffy Waldorf, John Senden, Michael Allen.
• 12:57—Dan Olsen, Daniel Chopra, Kenichi Kuboya.
• 1:06—Vaughn Taylor, David Brandshaw, Arjun Atwal.
• 1:15—Brad Lardon, Jason Dufner, Greg Meyer.
• 1:24—Lucas Glover, Kris Cox, Tetsuji Hiratsuka.