Maui no ka oi, on or off course
POPULAR Davis Love III may have won the Kapalua Golf Tourney, but there were lots of others who scored well at the weekend event. Funniest by far was Bill Murray, who got a lot of coverage on ESPN when he played the Plantation Course on Thursday, but since all the network's cameras were on that course, they didn't catch his antics on the Bay Course on Friday. That's when he led an entourage of people following his peripatetic tour of the course into a chapel along one fairway where he approached the bride, spun her around, dipped her down and planted a kiss on her, after which he turned to the stunned groom and said, "There, I warmed her up for you." That's one for the couple's memory book ...
ANOTHER big hit was Huey Lewis & the News, who performed Friday night to a full house of 1,000 under a tent on the grounds of the Ritz Carlton at the conclusion of the pro-am portion of the tournament. As soon as the first chord was struck, the spectators, golfers and wives rushed the stage and stood throughout the hourlong show, clapping and moving to the music. As stated by Mark Rolfing, who started the tournament at Kapalua 16 years ago, they'd come a long way from that first year when Andy Williams was trying to remember the lyrics to "Hawaiian Wedding Song." The previous night was to have been Crosby, Stills & Nash, but David Crosby is still having health problems and had to miss it. But joining Stephen Stills and Graham Nash on stage was country singer Vince Gill ...
Golf's funniest videos
I'D like to know who put together the pastiche of home movie type videos of the participants in the pro-am portion of the tourney, many of whom have played 10 or more times. Mark Rolfing is missing a bet if he doesn't appropriate some of the footage for use on his syndicated golf show. Peter Jacobsen is known to have a great sense of humor, but he outdid himself in footage where he talked about "this is what it's all about" and you assume he meant golf. But no, he slips on a close-fitting bathing cap like those Aussie lifeguards wear, raised his arms and dove to his right into a swimming pool, a la Esther Williams. Behind him, one after another, were six other participants, all wearing identical caps. They then proceeded to do an ersatz bit of syncronized swimming in waist-deep water while the soundtrack played "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairies." It was riotously funny. Another big hit was regular tournament competitor Roger Clemens, the baseball great, doing his version of "The Three Amigos" with two other amateurs, complete with choreography ...YET another big hit was the Ritz Carlton itself. Though it's been in operation for five years now, discreetly tucked away down a hillside from the main highway, it was the first time I'd seen it. The property has to be one of the premiere resorts in the state ...
Cuisine of Maui: Wowie
MY quick jaunt to Maui enabled me to sample Roy's in Kahana for the first time. Corporate chef David Abello was on hand overseeing things and the food there may even be better than at Roy Yamaguchi's main eatery in Hawaii Kai ... Friday night was also the big 40th birthday of David Paul Johnson at the Lahaina Grill and some 50 guests from all over Hawaii and the mainland stopped by to wish him the best. He didn't even mind being interrupted at dinner from one caller -- Chef Patrick Storm phoned from his Cafe de Paris in San Jose, recalling he trained David Paul 21 years ago at a restaurant back in Salt Lake City ...
Contact Dave by e-mail: donnelly@kestrok.com.