Kapalua to get
a champions’ farewell

Tournament that paved the way
for the Tour's 'second season'
is ending after a 16-year run

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

KAPALUA, Maui -- The Last Great Kapalua International would be a good way to describe the $1.2 million, 72-hole golf tournament, which gets under way tomorrow at the Bay and Plantation courses.

Ten former winners, including defending champion Paul Stankowski, are entered in the final go-around for the Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International.

The others are PGA champion Davis Love III, who won in 1992; Jim Furyk (1995); Mike Hulbert ('91); David Peoples ('90); Peter Jacobsen ('89); Bob Gilder ('88); Andy Bean ('86-87); Sandy Lyle ('84); and David Ishii, who captured the inaugural event in 1982.

The popular tournament, which paved the way for the phenomenal success of golf's "Second Season," will end after a 16-year run. The Kapalua Resort will host the Mercedes Championships to open the 1999 season.

Former champions have mixed emotions concerning the final Kapalua event, particularly Love, Stankowski, Furyk and Ishii.

Stankowski and Furyk were reigning Kapalua champions when they won the United Airlines Hawaiian Open at the Waialae Country Club the following February.

"You look at the guys who have won at Kapalua and it's an impressive list," said Stankowski, who shot a 21-under-par 269 to win by a stroke over Fred Couples last year. "I think that's the mark of any great event. I know it was a big win for me."

For Ishii, the 1990 Hawaiian Open champion, beating a field that included Hale Irwin, Ben Crenshaw, Curtis Strange and Craig Stadler in the 1982 Kapalua Open -- when it was a $100,000 event -- provided a confidence springboard that led to a lucrative career in Japan.

"It's the last Kapalua tournament. I've got to play in it," said Ishii, who had it on his golf calendar months ago.

In 1983, Greg Norman made the inaugural Kapalua International his first victory on American soil.

For Love, Kapalua has been a personal "Love affair." He finished runner-up three times before winning in 1992. And since joining the PGA Tour in 1986, Love has played in every Kapalua International except 1988, when his father died in a plane crash.

In 10 appearances, Love has earned a tournament-best $586,550.

"Kapalua's always a week I enjoy, and for some reason I've always done well here," Love said.

"I love the Plantation Course with the wide fairways. And I love the imagination it takes to play Ben's course," he added, referring to Crenshaw, who designed the par-73 Plantation Course, which will be the site of all four rounds.

The pros will alternate between Plantation and the par-71 Bay Course in a pro-am format with three amateurs the first two rounds. Only the pros will play the final 36 holes as they compete for the $216,000 top prize.

Among the celebrities competing will be Toronto pitcher Roger Clemens, actors Bill Murray and Joe Pesci and musicians Huey Lewis, Vince Gill, Stephen Stills and Smokey Robinson.

The first three rounds will be televised live by ESPN, with the final round to be aired by ABC, starting at 10 a.m., Hawaii time.

Starting times (pros only) Tomorrow Plantation Course (Par 73) First tee 7:00--Fred Funk, 7:10--Tommy Tolles, 7:20--Scott McCarron, 7:30--Thomas Bjorn, 7:40--Tim Herron, 7:50--Scott Simpson, 8:00--Chris Smith, 8:10--Woody Austin, 8:20--Loren Roberts, 8:30--Paul Goydos, 8:40--Kirk Triplett, 8:50--Mike Reid, 9:00--Clarence Rose, 9:10--Steve Pate. 10th Tee 7:00--Mike Standly, 7:10--Nolan Henke, 7:20--Jim Thorpe, 7:30--Russ Cochran, 7:40--Bob Estes, 7:50--Brent Geiberger, 8:00--Roger Maltbie, 8:10--Tom Purtzer, 8:20--Brandel Chamblee, 8:30--Brian Henninger, 8:40--Jerry Kelly, 8:50--Brad Bryant, 9:00--Don Pooley, 9:10--Tom Byrum. Bay Course (Par 71) First tee 7:00--Skip Kendall, 7:09--Brad Fabel, 7:18--Jim McGovern, 7:27--David Toms, 7:36--Olin Browne, 7:45--Doug Martin, 7:54--Robert Damron, 8:03--David Ogrin, 8:12--Gary McCord, 8:21--Billy Mayfair, 8:30--Kevin Sutherland, 8:39--Dan Forsman, 8:48--Steve Lowrey, 8:57--Lee Rinker. 10th tee 7:00--Davis Love III, 7:09--Jim Furyk, 7:16--Paul Stankowski, 7:27--Billy Andrade, 7:36--John Cook, 7:45--Duffy Waldorf, 7:54--Barry Lane, 8:03--David Ishii, 8:12--David Peoples, 8:21--Bob Gilder, 8:30--Sandy Lyle, 8:39--Andy Bean, 8:48--Mike Hulbert, 8:57--Peter Jacobsen. Friday Plantation Course (Par 73) First tee 9:00--David Ishii, 9:10--David Peoples, 9:20--Bob Gilder, 9:30--Sandy Lyle, 9:40--Andy Bean, 9:50--Mike Hulbert, 10:00--Peter Jacobsen, 10:10--Davis Love III, 10:20--Jim Furyk, 10:30--Paul Stankowski, 10:40--Billy Andrade, 10:50--John Cook, 11:00--Duff Waldorf, 11:10--Barry Lane. 10th tee 9:00--David Ogrin, 9:10--Gary McCord, 9:20--Billy Mayfair, 9:30--Kevin Sutherland, 9:40--Dan Forsman, 9:50--Steve Lowery, 10:00--Lee Rinker, 10:10--Skip Kendall, 10:20--Brad Fabel, 10:30--Jim McGovern, 10:40--David Toms, 10:50--Olin Browne, 11:00--Doug Martin, 11:10--Robert Damron. Bay Course (Par 71) First tee 9:00--Tom Purtzer, 9:09--Brandel Chamblee, 9:18--Brian Henninger, 9:27--Jerry Kelly, 9:36--Brad Bryant, 9:45--Don Pooleu, 9:54--Tom Byrum, 10:03--Mike Standly, 10:12--Nolan Henke, 10:21--Jim Thorpe, 10:30--Russ Cochran, 10:39--Bob Estes, 10:48--Brent Geiberger, 10:57--Roger Maltbie. 10th tee 9:00--Woody Austin, 9:09--Loren Roberts, 9:18--Paul Goydos, 9:27--Kirk Triplett, 9:36--Mike Reid, 9:45--Clarence Rose, 9:54--Steve Pate. 10:03--Fred Funk, 10:12--Tommy Tolles, 10:21--Scott McCarron, 10:30--Thomas Bjorn, 10:39--Tim Herron, 10:48--Scott Simpson, 10:57--Chris Smith.