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SONY, but not the one and only. Look into the 2000 PGA Tour media guide and you won't find any reference to the Hawaiian Open's tournament history from 1965 when it all began at the Waialae Country Club through 1998 when United Airlines ended its sponsorship. GOLF WATCH
Sony Open cancels its history
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
It's as if the PGA Tour professionals had never played at Waialae before.
"Wow! I wasn't here. It's like the twilight zone," kidded Stuart Appleby, playing for the fifth straight year at Waialae.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Sony's the sponsor. (But) I won on this golf course and I'm playing on the same golf course,"added Jim Furyk, the 1996 Hawaiian Open winner.
That's not all. There's no sense of history. And a lot of golf is history, believe me. And not revisionist history either.
It's like telling me that Ted Makalena never won the Hawaiian Open in 1966.
That John Huston in 1998 didn't win the last Hawaiian Open as we know it, setting an all-time 72-hole record of 28-under-par 260 in the process.
That Hubert Green and Corey Pavin posting back-to-back titles is a figment of their imaginations.
Isao Aoki's dramatic eagle-3 on the 72nd hole to stun Jack Renner waiting by the 18th green to be crowned the 1983 champion?
Never happened.
Or that David Ishii won in 1990, earning an invitation to the Masters? Don't tell Ishii that he never went near Augusta National. Forget it. The 2000 media guide did.
MAYBE the only guy who doesn't mind writing off the Hawaiian Open is Paul Azinger, who finished runner-up three times, placed third twice and had a fourth.
Still, he couldn't but help feel touched when he received a huge get-well card with hundreds of signatures from the fans here when he had his battle with cancer in 1994.
"That was one of the nicest things ever done at a tournament," said Azinger.
All that should count for something, you'd think.
So what's the deal?
Well, nobody's saying anything for the record, but it seems that the Sony people wanted it that way and leaned on the PGA Tour to erase the past from its media guide.
True, the Sony Open is a brand-new baby, now two years old, and Waialae now plays to a par 70, instead of a par 72.
But in agreeing to Sony, the PGA Tour isn't being consistent in this regard when it comes to the other tournaments they list in its guide.
No tournament has had more name changes than a witness-protection program than the event in San Diego. It's in its fifth year as the Buick Invitational.
It started in 1952 simply as the San Diego Open. Then the Convair San Diego for two years, later the Andy Williams San Diego Open. Isuzu, Shearson Lehman Brothers then became title sponsors before Buick came on.
And, you know what? Every winner, runner-up and their scores from 1952 are listed, despite the tournament name changes.
Here's hoping Sony and the PGA Tour officials see the light and correct this unnecessarily glaring omission in next year's media guide.
(long-s)
GET WELL, MARK: A speedy recovery to top amateur golfer Mark Chun, who suffered a mild stroke last month.
It came as a shock to all his friends. Chun, 34, a Navy-Marine golf course starter, had just played in the Governor's Cup two weeks before.
-- -- --
Golf Watch welcomes readers' comments. Send to Bill Kwon at Star-Bulletin sports fax number 525-5497 or e-mail bkwon@starbulletin.com.Sony Open cancels its history
SONY, but not the one and only. Look into the 2000 PGA Tour media guide and you won't find any reference to the Hawaiian Open's tournament history from 1965 when it all began at the Waialae Country Club through 1998 when United Airlines ended its sponsorship.
Nothing. Nada. Zilch.
It's as if the PGA Tour professionals had never played at Waialae before.
"Wow! I wasn't here. It's like the twilight zone," kidded Stuart Appleby, playing for the fifth straight year at Waialae.
"Don't get me wrong. I'm glad Sony's the sponsor. (But) I won on this golf course and I'm playing on the same golf course,"added Jim Furyk, the 1996 Hawaiian Open winner.
That's not all. There's no sense of history. And a lot of golf is history, believe me. And not revisionist history either.
It's like telling me that Ted Makalena never won the Hawaiian Open in 1966.
That John Huston in 1998 didn't win the last Hawaiian Open as we know it, setting an all-time 72-hole record of 28-under-par 260 in the process.
That Hubert Green and Corey Pavin posting back-to-back titles is a figment of their imaginations.
Isao Aoki's dramatic eagle-3 on the 72nd hole to stun Jack Renner waiting by the 18th green to be crowned the 1983 champion?
Never happened.
Or that David Ishii won in 1990, earning an invitation to the Masters? Don't tell Ishii that he never went near Augusta National. Forget it. The 2000 media guide did.
MAYBE the only guy who doesn't mind writing off the Hawaiian Open is Paul Azinger, who finished runner-up three times, placed third twice and had a fourth.
Still, he couldn't but help feel touched when he received a huge get-well card with hundreds of signatures from the fans here when he had his battle with cancer in 1994.
"That was one of the nicest things ever done at a tournament," said Azinger.
All that should count for something, you'd think.
So what's the deal?
Well, nobody's saying anything for the record, but it seems that the Sony people wanted it that way and leaned on the PGA Tour to erase the past from its media guide.
True, the Sony Open is a brand-new baby, now two years old, and Waialae now plays to a par 70, instead of a par 72.
But in agreeing to Sony, the PGA Tour isn't being consistent in this regard when it comes to the other tournaments they list in its guide.
No tournament has had more name changes than a witness-protection program than the event in San Diego. It's in its fifth year as the Buick Invitational.
It started in 1952 simply as the San Diego Open. Then the Convair San Diego for two years, later the Andy Williams San Diego Open. Isuzu, Shearson Lehman Brothers then became title sponsors before Buick came on.
And, you know what? Every winner, runner-up and their scores from 1952 are listed, despite the tournament name changes.
Here's hoping Sony and the PGA Tour officials see the light and correct this unnecessarily glaring omission in next year's media guide.
A speedy recovery to top amateur golfer Mark Chun, who suffered a mild stroke last month. GET WELL, MARK:
It came as a shock to all his friends. Chun, 34, a Navy-Marine golf course starter, had just played in the Governor's Cup two weeks before.
