With the economic downturn, these aren't the best of times in local golf.

The PGA Tour hopes that Sony and Mercedes will re-up as sponsors for after 2010. But it can't be encouraging news when Sony Hawaii lays off 45 percent of its work force or Maui Land & Pineapple Co. sells its Plantation Course, site of the Mercedes-Benz Championship, to restructure its debt, and shows a net loss of $1.2 million in the first quarter of this year.

As a cost-cutting measure, the Aloha Section PGA won't hold its Hall of Fame induction ceremony this month to honor its three new inductees (to be announced later), incorporating it instead with the Hoolaulea during Sony Open week next January. And if that's not enough, the Big Island Candies Scotch Four-Ball tournament has been canceled this year — also a victim of the ailing economy.

Adding to the alarming news is that the Hawai'i State Open, a perennial championship event, is still looking for a title sponsor and is not listed on this year's schedule. It's hard to believe that the final leg in local golf's grand slam could come to such an inglorious end. Imagine that — a state without a state golf champion.

Prince Resorts Hawai'i, which had supported the Hawai'i State Open for 14 years, pulled out as the title sponsor this year.

"It was a most difficult decision to give up this sponsorship this year," said Donn Takahashi, the company president. "The costs of providing the course for five days, sponsor costs and expenses to upgrade this event made it difficult to participate this year. (But) we will continue to work closely with the Aloha Section PGA in other ways to always be a significant supporter of golf in Hawai'i."

"Losing Prince was a huge loss. It was our biggest title sponsor," said Matt Hall, president of the Aloha Section PGA, who's still optimistic that the 2009 state open will be held sometime in December. "We're looking at a venue with the venue being the title sponsor," he said, adding that negotiations are ongoing and an announcement might be forthcoming next week.

Let's hope it gets done. Anything before 2009 comes to an end, leaving an embarrassing blank in the scroll of great state open golf champions over the years.

Though now run by the Aloha Section PGA, the Hawai'i State Open began in 1974 as the Ted Makalena Hawai'i State Open in honor of the first native golfer to win a PGA Tour event.

Bringing back the event originally known as the Hawaiian Open was the brainchild of Bob Tom, then president of the Hawai'i Junior Golf Association, who saw the need to have a local state open golf champion. Also, it was fittingly appropriate to honor Makalena, who tragically died two years after winning the 1966 PGA Hawaiian Open. He won the last five tournaments (1960 through 1964) of the original Hawaiian Open after it truly became a state open. But when the PGA Tour made Waialae Country Club a tour stop starting in 1965, it took the name Hawaiian Open, ending the original tournament with the same name to avoid confusion.

So the Hawai'i State Open was launched with great success at the popular Ala Wai Golf Course, which was the site for the first 10 years.

Kauai's Dan Nishimoto was the inaugural winner, beating professional John Kalinka. The following year, Allan Yamamoto became the second amateur to edge out a pro, Mike Matheny. Since then, only two amateurs have won the Hawai'i State Open — Wendell Tom, Bob Tom's son, in 1982, and Hilo's Jarett Hamamoto in 2005.

Starting as a 72-hole tournament, it became a 54-hole event in 1987, when Casey Nakama won at the Pali Golf Course. A women's division was added in 1976, with Althea Tome winning three of the first four titles, while Maui's Dean Prince led all seniors for six straight years starting in 1996.

After two years at the Sheraton Makaha Resort, with David Ishii winning back-to-back titles there in 1984-'85, and the Pali course, the State Open returned to Ala Wai until the Aloha Section PGA took over in 1993 with the Prince Resorts Hawai'i providing the host venues — first at Makena South where PGA touring professional Scott Simpson won back-to-back titles. And here's an interesting State Open trivia question: Who holds the most titles, with four? Simpson, who also won twice at Ala Wai, and Lance Suzuki.

Except for 2001, when it was held at Makaha Resort, the State Open was held at Mauna Kea, Hapuna and the past five years at Hawai'i Prince — all courses owned by Prince Resorts Hawai'i. So it was a big blow for the Aloha Section to lose it as a title sponsor.

Especially after it also lost the Big Island Candies Scotch Four-Ball Championship because of the same reason.

"It's a privilege to sponsor it for 15 years. Hopefully, we'll do it again next year or soon as the economy turns around," said Allan Ikawa, the company's owner. "This year, we thought it would be better to be on the safe side of caution." His company is still sponsoring the Hapuna Roundup, another Aloha Section PGA event.

The times are certainly are tough and they are a changin.' But here's hoping there will be a 2009 Hawai'i State Open. It's too important a tournament to get scuttled. And I know for sure 2008 champion Nick Mason hopes there's a title that he can defend.