2005
Singh's final-hole birdie denies Els a third straight Sony title
 |
| Vijay Singh
|
Vijay Singh and Ernie Els validated their vaunted reputations and the World Golf Rankings yesterday, rallying from far back to transform the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii into a shootout between two of the planet's three best players.
Singh, a dominant No. 1, closed with a 5-under-par 65 to come from four shots back and win by a shot over Els at Waialae Country Club. Singh's 25th PGA Tour victory is just the latest turn in a remarkable roll that began as he closed in on his 40th birthday in 2003.
He won four times that year and nine more last year, when he collected nearly $11 million.
Yesterday, Singh thanked the third-ranked Els for torching Waialae in a final-round 62, tying the tournament record and giving the final groups a score of 10-under to shoot at for more than an hour.
"If you post a score up there, instead of you playing your normal game, you're trying to protect your lead or trying to make sure you don't lose it," Singh said. "It kind of changed the way I thought as well.... It does play some crazy things in your mind."
2004
Els birdies to force playoff, then birdies to win it again
 |
| Ernie Els
|
Ernie Els opened his week on O'ahu playing a practice round with Hawai'i golf prodigy Michelle Wie. He closed it with a pulsating victory over Harrison Frazar on the third playoff hole to retain his Sony Open in Hawai'i title.
Els dropped a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole to force the playoff.
"He just hit a perfect putt right in the center, right there," said Frazar, who has three seconds — and no wins — in six-plus PGA Tour seasons.
When Els drained another birdie putt — this time from 22 feet — to win the playoff at the 11th hole, Frazar was "disappointed" but not "disheartened."
"I don't feel like I lost today. I got beat. I played well," Frazar said.
2003
Els drops in long birdie putt to defeat Baddeley in playoff
 |
| Ernie Els
|
It was a perfect day in paradise for Ernie Els, who beat Aaron Baddeley on the second playoff hole.
Els' 43-foot birdie putt from the fringe of the 10th green dropped into the heart of the hole. The 22-year-old Baddeley, in his first tournament as a PGA Tour member, then watched his 20-foot birdie putt stop — "a quarter of a roll shy," according to Baddeley.
Els became the first golfer in 13 years to win the first two tour events of the season. He won the Mercedes Championships the week before.
2002
Kelly breaks through for first PGA victory in 200 tries
 |
| Jerry Kelly
|
It took Jerry Kelly 200 tries to win his first PGA Tour event. His tenacity was richly rewarded.
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.
Precarious pin placements and a suddenly wicked Waialae made it a tough final round.
"It was the way it should be on Sunday," Cook said. "The course was fast, the pins were tucked, the wind blew at just the odd angle where it wasn't comfortable."
2001
Faxon wins by four after record-setting performance
 |
| Brad Faxon
|
Brad Faxon won the Sony Open in Hawai'i by a remarkably easy four strokes.
Faxon closed with a 5-under-par 65 to finish at 20-under 260. That broke Paul Azinger's year-old tournament record by one shot. It tied the 72-hole total John Huston amassed three years ago, when Wai'alae Country Club played to a par-72, and he set a PGA Tour record for most strokes under par with 28.
2000
Azinger's win completes comeback from cancer
 |
| Paul Azinger
|
After coming to grips with mortality, Paul Azinger found out what fate was all about. Six years after being diagnosed with cancer, Azinger turned the Sony Open in Hawai'i into his first victory since 1993. He closed with a 5-under-par 65 to win by seven shots over Stuart Appleby (67).
"People here have always been in my camp, so to speak. I've always felt that," said Azinger, who won his 12th PGA Tour event with a 19-under score of 261.
1999
Birdies on final two holes lift Sluman in close finish
 |
| Jeff Sluman
|
Jeff Sluman fired his second straight 4-under-par 66 in the final round to win by two shots.
The difference between Sluman and Chris Perry, Len Mattiace, Jeff Maggert, Tommy Tolles and Davis Love III were his birdies on the last two holes.
"One of the things over the last three or four years that's gotten me over the hump and allowed me to win some tournaments," Sluman said, "is I do believe that I'm a pretty good player and I'm going to hit good shots down the stretch."
