SONY OPEN
DENNIS ODA / DODA@STARBULLETIN.COM
Luke Donald followed up Thursday's 63 with a 66 yesterday to land at 11 under par, tied for the lead with Paul Goydos.
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Overshadowed
Donald and Goydos lead, but all eyes are on an isle teen who made the cut -- no, not that one
As well as the pros played yesterday in the second round of the $5.2 million Sony Open in Hawaii, it was a 16-year-old amateur who stole the show.
Leaderboard
| Second round, par-70 |
| Luke Donald |
-11
|
| Paul Goydos |
-11
|
| Chad Campbell |
-9
|
| Charles Howell III |
-8
|
| Will MacKenzie |
-7
|
| Jim Furyk |
-7
|
| Robert Allenby |
-7 |
|
Diminutive Tadd Fujikawa of Moanalua High School became the second-youngest player in PGA Tour history to make the cut after he joined a long parade of golfers in red numbers with a 4-under 66 for a two-day total of 3-under 137.
He is the only one of the seven local golfers, including tour members Parker McLachlin and Dean Wilson, who will play through this weekend. Both shot 1-under 69s yesterday to finish at 1-over 141 to miss the cut by one shot.
Fujikawa didn't leave anything to chance, punctuating his round with an eagle at the last to bring a roar from the crowd packed around the 18th green. He accepted high fives from playing partners Boo Weekley and Steve Wheatcroft before Wilson gave Fujikawa one of his own near the scorer's tent off the 18th green. Fujikawa spent all day Thursday at the course soaking up the atmosphere and it was hard for him to walk away last night as the crowd lifted him over the final four holes.
"I can barely breathe right now, I'm so excited," Fujikawa said. "I'm really appreciative of all the people supporting me. But I was doing my best just to stay in the moment. My game is really solid and my ball-striking is really good. I feel great right now. I'm so excited."
The tradewinds were high, but the scores were low in the first full-field event of the season. Luke Donald and Paul Goydos led the way with 11-under 129s in what promises to be an all-out scramble to the finish this weekend.
Donald opened with a 7-under 63 on Thursday and Goydos responded with a 63 of his own yesterday in breezy conditions that often leave the pros scratching their heads. But not this time around, as the cut was the lowest since 79 players shot 1 under or better in 2004.
Goydos began the day three shots off the pace after opening with a 66 on Thursday. He had five consecutive birdies yesterday, starting on the eighth, to put himself in contention for the second consecutive full-field event.
The 42-year-old was in danger of losing his tour card last year before finishing in a tie for second at the last full-field event of 2006. He conceded he wouldn't be here if it weren't for that improbable finish at the 2006 Chrysler Championship.
"I am very pleased because it was very windy out there," Goydos said. "I had probably one of my top five rounds played on tour. It was windy and tough and the key generally to playing well in these conditions is making putts and I didn't have a lot of problems today doing that. It tends to make up for the wind blowing the ball all over the place when you're doing that, making 20-footers. It's hard to shoot a high score when you have 28 putts."
Donald's birdie streak wasn't as impressive as Goydos', but he birdied three of the last four to put himself in position to win his third PGA Tour event since turning pro in 2001. He posted a 4-under 66 himself yesterday after opening with seven straight pars on the front.
"Today was harder for me," Donald said. "I didn't play as well. The first 12 holes, especially, was a mixture of some good shots, but a lot of scrappy shots as well. The wind was stronger overall last week (at the Mercedes-Benz Championship). Today it was breezy and made the course trickier than yesterday that's for sure."
As well as Donald and Goydos played the opening two days, they did little to separate themselves from the field as Chad Campbell's 65 just before lunch earned him the clubhouse lead at 9-under 131 until late in the afternoon. He'll start his third round in third, one shot ahead of Charles Howell III, who put himself into contention with a 7-under 63 as well.
"I think the one thing about this golf course is that it forces you to stay focused the whole time around," Howell said. "Part of that is because the wind can stay fairly consistent here from the early morning straight on through. But the golf course never allows for any lapses of concentration at all."
Just off the pace at 7-under 133 are world No. 2 Jim Furyk (68), Will MacKenzie (68) and Robert Allenby (66). There are four more players tied for eighth at 6-under 134, including 2000 Sony Open winner Paul Azinger (66) and 2002 champ Jerry Kelly (65).
But this day belonged to the smallest guy in the place. Barely standing 5 feet with his spikes on, Fujikawa captured the hearts and minds of golfers all over the world with his improbable finish. When he walked into the media room after the round, there was plenty of applause from the scorekeepers and the Sony Open volunteers crowding in to get a glimpse of the young amateur who qualified for the U.S. Open last year.
"These past two days, actually this past week has been great," Fujikawa said. "It was a lot of fun, all these people out here just supporting me and rooting me on, it really helps. I think yesterday was similar to the Open. But today was definitely more exciting. I think making the cut here has more meaning for me other than the U.S. Open."
As for the pro side of the story, Campbell put himself in position to win for the second straight year at the Sony. In 2006, Campbell was tied with defending champion David Toms after the third round, only to finish in a tie for second. He'd like to improve on that this time around.
"You always want to win," said Campbell, who has three tour victories, including the Tour Championship in 2003. "I didn't feel like I played real well on Sunday last year. I didn't make many putts. That's the way golf is. You don't play good every day."
Toms will have a hard time defending his title after shooting a 68 yesterday to put himself 10 shots out of the lead. Vijay Singh, who won the Mercedes last week and the Sony Open in 2005, is also on the fringe. His 3-under 67 yesterday left him among 13 golfers at 2-under 138.
Tom Lehman, America's Ryder Cup captain in 2006, and Davis Love III both birdied the final hole to finish at even-par 140. Had they not made birdie, it's possible 1 over would have been the cut and Wilson and McLachlin would have survived.
SECOND-ROUND SCORES
Sony Open
At Waialae Country Club
Purse: $5.2 million
Second round, par-70
| Luke Donald |
63-66 |
-- |
129
|
| Paul Goydos |
66-63 |
-- |
129
|
| Chad Campbell |
66-65 |
-- |
131
|
| Charles Howell III |
69-63 |
-- |
132
|
| Will MacKenzie |
65-68 |
-- |
133
|
| Jim Furyk |
65-68 |
-- |
133
|
| Robert Allenby |
67-66 |
-- |
133
|
| Jerry Kelly |
69-65 |
-- |
134
|
| Steve Stricker |
67-67 |
-- |
134
|
| Heath Slocum |
66-68 |
-- |
134
|
| Paul Azinger |
68-66 |
-- |
134
|
| Ted Purdy |
67-68 |
-- |
135
|
| K.J. Choi |
64-71 |
-- |
135
|
| Rich Beem |
69-66 |
-- |
135
|
| Jason Dufner |
67-68 |
-- |
135
|
| Ryuji Imada |
66-70 |
-- |
136
|
| David Branshaw |
67-69 |
-- |
136
|
| Jesper Parnevik |
69-67 |
-- |
136
|
| Shane Bertsch |
66-70 |
-- |
136
|
| John Rollins |
66-70 |
-- |
136
|
| John Senden |
69-67 |
-- |
136
|
| George McNeill |
70-66 |
-- |
136
|
| Andrew Buckle |
70-66 |
-- |
136
|
| Boo Weekley |
69-67 |
-- |
136
|
| John Daly |
69-68 |
-- |
137
|
| Rod Pampling |
71-66 |
-- |
137
|
| Kenny Perry |
71-66 |
-- |
137
|
| Trevor Immelman |
67-70 |
-- |
137
|
| Troy Matteson |
69-68 |
-- |
137
|
| Craig Kanada |
72-65 |
-- |
137
|
| Johnson Wagner |
70-67 |
-- |
137
|
| Craig Lile |
70-67 |
-- |
137
|
| Bubba Watson |
71-66 |
-- |
137
|
| Brian Gay |
68-69 |
-- |
137
|
| Tadd Fujikawa |
71-66 |
-- |
137
|
| Nathan Green |
67-71 |
-- |
138
|
| Harrison Frazar |
71-67 |
-- |
138
|
| David Toms |
70-68 |
-- |
138
|
| Jeff Maggert |
73-65 |
-- |
138
|
| Bart Bryant |
69-69 |
-- |
138
|
| Vijay Singh |
71-67 |
-- |
138
|
| Tim Petrovic |
70-68 |
-- |
138
|
| Cliff Kresge |
71-67 |
-- |
138
|
| Ken Duke |
69-69 |
-- |
138
|
| Daisuke Maruyama |
66-72 |
-- |
138
|
| Jeff Sluman |
66-72 |
-- |
138
|
| Pat Perez |
68-70 |
-- |
138
|
| Gavin Coles |
71-67 |
-- |
138
|
| Briny Baird |
67-72 |
-- |
139
|
| Bo Van Pelt |
69-70 |
-- |
139
|
| Mathew Goggin |
71-68 |
-- |
139
|
| Jarrod Lyle |
68-71 |
-- |
139
|
| Cameron Beckman |
69-70 |
-- |
139
|
| Kaname Yokoo |
69-70 |
-- |
139
|
| Yusaku Miyazato |
69-70 |
-- |
139
|
| Joe Daley |
70-69 |
-- |
139
|
| Steve Lowery |
72-67 |
-- |
139
|
| Geoff Ogilvy |
67-72 |
-- |
139
|
| Eric Axley |
72-67 |
-- |
139
|
| Azuma Yano |
73-66 |
-- |
139
|
| Stephen Marino |
68-71 |
-- |
139
|
| J.P. Hayes |
70-70 |
-- |
140
|
| Glen Day |
71-69 |
-- |
140
|
| Brett Quigley |
70-70 |
-- |
140
|
| Rory Sabbatini |
69-71 |
-- |
140
|
| Jeff Quinney |
69-71 |
-- |
140
|
| Michael Putnam |
71-69 |
-- |
140
|
| Daniel Chopra |
68-72 |
-- |
140
|
| Davis Love III |
70-70 |
-- |
140
|
| Tom Lehman |
68-72 |
-- |
140
|
| J.J. Henry |
68-72 |
-- |
140
|
| Robert Garrigus |
68-72 |
-- |
140
|
| Doug LaBelle II |
69-71 |
-- |
140
|
Failed to Qualify
|
| Matt Kuchar |
68-73 |
-- |
141
|
| Chris Couch |
73-68 |
-- |
141
|
| Brett Wetterich |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Mark Calcavecchia |
71-70 |
-- |
141
|
| Richard S. Johnson |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| Paul Gow |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Bob Heintz |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| John Mallinger |
73-68 |
-- |
141
|
| Shigeki Maruyama |
70-71 |
-- |
141
|
| Fred Funk |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Shaun Micheel |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Dean Wilson |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| Brendon de Jonge |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Mark Hensby |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| Ryan Armour |
69-72 |
-- |
141
|
| Craig Bowden |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| Parker McLachlin |
72-69 |
-- |
141
|
| Dudley Hart |
72-70 |
-- |
142
|
| Bill Haas |
75-67 |
-- |
142
|
| Jason Bohn |
74-68 |
-- |
142
|
| Stewart Cink |
72-70 |
-- |
142
|
| Charlie Wi |
70-72 |
-- |
142
|
| Tom Pernice, Jr. |
72-70 |
-- |
142
|
| Paul Stankowski |
69-73 |
-- |
142
|
| Mathias Gronberg |
71-71 |
-- |
142
|
| Ryan Palmer |
67-75 |
-- |
142
|
| Tim Herron |
72-70 |
-- |
142
|
| Robert Gamez |
70-72 |
-- |
142
|
| Anthony Kim |
72-70 |
-- |
142
|
| Tripp Isenhour |
68-74 |
-- |
142
|
| Chris Tidland |
70-72 |
-- |
142
|
| Stuart Appleby |
72-71 |
-- |
143
|
| Scott Gutschewski |
73-70 |
-- |
143
|
| Scott Piercy |
70-73 |
-- |
143
|
| Billy Mayfair |
69-74 |
-- |
143
|
| Bob Estes |
71-72 |
-- |
143
|
| Michael Allen |
73-70 |
-- |
143
|
| Peter Lonard |
73-70 |
-- |
143
|
| Steve Wheatcroft |
75-68 |
-- |
143
|
| Joe Ogilvie |
73-71 |
-- |
144
|
| Corey Pavin |
72-72 |
-- |
144
|
| Darron Stiles |
72-72 |
-- |
144
|
| Rich Barcelo |
72-72 |
-- |
144
|
| Ben Curtis |
72-72 |
-- |
144
|
| John Merrick |
70-74 |
-- |
144
|
| Chris Smith |
72-73 |
-- |
145
|
| Steve Flesch |
69-76 |
-- |
145
|
| Jim Rutledge |
73-72 |
-- |
145
|
| Brian Miller |
77-69 |
-- |
146
|
| Paul Sheehan |
74-72 |
-- |
146
|
| Joe Durant |
70-76 |
-- |
146
|
| Carl Pettersson |
71-75 |
-- |
146
|
| John Huston |
77-70 |
-- |
147
|
| Juvic Pagunsan |
75-72 |
-- |
147
|
| Bryce Molder |
76-71 |
-- |
147
|
| Dicky Pride |
74-73 |
-- |
147
|
| Brandt Snedeker |
73-74 |
-- |
147
|
| Kevin Hayashi |
74-73 |
-- |
147
|
| Chris Stroud |
75-73 |
-- |
148
|
| D.J. Trahan |
74-74 |
-- |
148
|
| J.B. Holmes |
70-78 |
-- |
148
|
| Aaron Baddeley |
73-75 |
-- |
148
|
| Craig Barlow |
72-76 |
-- |
148
|
| Wes Short, Jr. |
73-77 |
-- |
150
|
| Kevin Stadler |
71-79 |
-- |
150
|
| Hideto Tanihara |
76-77 |
-- |
153
|
| Michelle Wie |
78-76 |
-- |
154
|
| David Chin |
76-84 |
-- |
160
|
| Abe Mariano |
83-82 |
-- |
165 |
![[Chart]](art1chart.jpg)