StarBulletin.com

A look back at 10 years of the Sony


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POSTED: Wednesday, January 14, 2009

1999

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Two holes, Nos. 1 and 13, were converted from par 5s to par 4s before the inaugural Sony Open in Hawaii. Jeff Sluman took advantage and came from back in the pack to shoot a final-round 66 to win it.

His 271 total—nine under par—was in marked contrast to the 28-under 260 fired by John Huston in the final Hawaiian Open at Waialae the year before.

“;Obviously, it seemed to suit my game pretty good,”; Sluman said. “;I like the course where par is the same for everybody.”;

Chris Perry, Len Mattiace, Jeff Maggert, Tommy Tolles and Davis Love III tied for second at 273.

 

2000

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Six years after being diagnosed with lymphoma, Paul Azinger captured an emotional victory with a bogey-free 65, finishing at 19-under 261.

Azinger said he played with others in mind during his fourth trip around Waialae, those who had also undergone chemotherapy and the widows of his cousin, his two agents and his close friend, Payne Stewart.

“;I was very determined today for a lot of people,”; Azinger said.

Azinger had finished second three times at the Hawaiian Open.

Stuart Appleby finished second, seven shots back.

 

2001

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Brad Faxon eagled the 72nd hole, capping off a final-round 65 and shooting a tournament-record 20-under 260.

Always one of the PGA's top putters, Faxon was extra good this week, eating up Waialae's silky smooth greens. To that skill, he added some distance to his game, hitting the ball 20 yards farther off the tee. It proved a winning combination and resulted in four eagles in four rounds.

“;Everything went my way this week,”; Faxon said. “;Everything went as planned, went as expected, sometimes better.”;

Tom Lehman fired a 66 on Sunday, finishing four stokes back in second place.

 

2002

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Jerry Kelly had played 200 PGA Tour events before he broke through and won, a sweet, 1-shot victory over John Cook that came down to the last hole.

When Cook birdied 18 from the fairway, Kelly knew his task—birdie, or go to a playoff.

Kelly hit a 3-iron from the fairway that flirted with the bunker on the right side before rolling onto the green 45 feet from the pin. His 18-inch birdie putt sealed the deal. He finished at 14-under 266.

“;Hopefully, this gives me the ability to shoot 65, 64 on Sunday,”; Kelly said. “;I just hope it mentally lets me get to the next level.”;

 

2003

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Ernie Els made it two-for-two in Hawaii, rolling in a 40-foot putt to take down Aaron Baddeley on the second playoff hole. Els had won the Mercedes Championship the week before.

Els started the day two shots back of Baddeley, erased the deficit by the fifth hole and then took the lead with a birdie on 10. He finished his round with eight straight pars.

Both men parred the first playoff hole before Els' big putt.

“;I was just hoping that I hit it hard enough because I left quite a few putts short today,”; Els said of the winner. “;And then it went just boom right into the middle.”;

 

2004

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For the second straight year, Ernie Els works overtime to win it. This time, Harrison Frazar is the victim as Els drains a 22-foot birdie putt on the par-3 11th.

The two finished regulation at 18-under 262.

Both players parred the first two playoff holes before Els' heroics on the third. Frazar's 30-footer for birdie missed before Els sent his in.

“;I'm pretty close to where I want to be,”; Els said. “;I just want to stay on course and just keep going. I can get better.”;

Also making waves was Honolulu's Michelle Wie, who missed the cut by one stroke after shooting 68 on Friday.

 

2005

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Vijay Singh, the world's top-ranked player, steals the show, shooting a steady 65 on Sunday to win by 1 shot over Ernie Els. Singh's four-day total was 11-under 269.

It didn't come easy for Singh as Els blistered the course with a 62 and then lunched with his family as the others came in. Singh needed a birdie at 18 to win it.

“;I was hitting a lot of good shots and I just hung in there and that was the key,”; Singh said. “;At the start of the day I told my caddy I thought 12 under was going to win and that was my target.”;

Honolulu's Michelle Wie missed the cut by seven strokes.

 

2006

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David Toms beats his good friend Chad Campbell and holds off Rory Sabbatini with a final-round 65 to finish at 19-under 261, good for a five-shot victory.

Toms and Campbell were tied heading into the final round. But Toms birdied the opening hole and never really looked back. Sabbatini came from back in the pack and fired a final-round 62.

“;I played really well when the winds were strong,”; Toms said. “;Had good, solid rounds, and took advantage of calm conditions, and then played another solid round today.”;

Michelle Wie missed the cut by four strokes.

 

2007

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Nearly 11 years and 256 events after his previous PGA Tour victory, Paul Goydos wins another by shooting a 67 on Sunday to win by 1 stroke over Charles Howell III and Luke Donald.

Goydos started the tournament with a 66, followed by a red-hot 63 on Friday. His Sunday round was more workmanlike, but plenty good.

“;I set some goals and one of my goals was to win every decade and so far I've accomplished that,”; joked Goydos, who first played on the tour in 1992.

Hawaii's Tadd Fujikawa, a sophomore in high school, wows the crowd, finishing 20th.

 

2008

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K.J. Choi did his best to tame the wind at Waialae on Sunday, shooting a steady 71 for a three-shot victory over Rory Sabbatini. Choi finished at 14-under 266.

After a calm first three days where players had little trouble making birdies, wind gusts kept scores higher during the final round. After making bogey at 13, Choi closed out the round with four pars and his only birdie of the day.

“;Hawaii is such a special place to me because it's so much like my hometown, Wando Island (in South Korea),”; Choi said.

Honolulu's Parker McLachlin finishes 10th.