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PGA - Hyundai Tournament of Champions Preview
From The Sports Network
| DATES: Friday, January 4th through Monday, January 7th |
| SITE: Kapalua Resort (Plantation Course), Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii |
| COURSE ARCHITECT: Ben Crenshaw and Bill Coore (1991) |
| Hole-By-Hole: | 1 - Par 4 520 yds | 10 - Par 4 354 yds | |
| 2 - Par 3 218 yds | 11 - Par 3 164 yds | |
| 3 - Par 4 380 yds | 12 - Par 4 420 yds | |
| 4 - Par 4 382 yds | 13 - Par 4 407 yds | |
| 5 - Par 5 532 yds | 14 - Par 4 305 yds | |
| 6 - Par 4 398 yds | 15 - Par 5 555 yds | |
| 7 - Par 4 516 yds | 16 - Par 4 365 yds | |
| 8 - Par 3 203 yds | 17 - Par 4 549 yds | |
| 9 - Par 5 521 yds | 18 - Par 5 663 yds | |
| ------------- | ------------- | |
| 36 3,670 Yds | 37 3,782 Yds | |
| Annual: | 61st |
| Television: | Golf Channel - Friday/Saturday -- 5:30-10 p.m. (et), |
| | - Sunday -- 6-10 p.m. (et), |
| | - Monday -- 4-8 p.m. (et) |
| Defending Champion: | Steve Stricker |
| Runner-Up: | Martin Laird |
| Tournament Record: | 261 (Ernie Els, 2003) |
| 54-Hole Record: | 194 (Ernie Els, 2003) |
| 36-Hole Record: | 129 (Ernie Els, 2003) |
| Course Record: | 62 (K.J. Choi, 2003; Graeme McDowell, 2011) |
| Total Purse: | $5,700,000 |
| Shares: | 1st Place - $1,140,000; 2nd Place - $665,000; 3rd Place - $432,000 |
| 2012 Finish |
| Player | Score | Player | Score |
| Steve Stricker | 269 | Harrison Frazar | 277 |
| Martin Laird | 272 | Bryce Molder | 278 |
| Jonathan Byrd | 273 | Chris Kirk | 278 |
| Webb Simpson | 273 | Three players at | 279 |
| K.J. Choi | 277 | | |
| Past Hyundai Tournament of Champions Winners |
| Year | Winner (Score) -- Runners-Up |
| 2012 | Steve Stricker (269) -- Martin Laird |
| 2011 | *Jonathan Byrd (268) -- Robert Garrigus |
| 2010 | Geoff Ogilvy (270) -- Rory Sabbatini |
| 2009 | Geoff Ogilvy (268) -- Davis Love III, Anthony Kim |
| 2008 | *Daniel Chopra (274) -- Steve Stricker |
| 2007 | Vijay Singh (278) -- Adam Scott |
| 2006 | *Stuart Appleby (284) -- Vijay Singh |
| 2005 | Stuart Appleby (271) -- Jonathan Kaye |
| 2004 | Stuart Appleby (270) -- Vijay Singh |
| 2003 | Ernie Els (261) -- Rocco Mediate, K.J. Choi |
| 2002 | *Sergio Garcia (274) -- David Toms |
| 2001 | Jim Furyk (274) -- Rory Sabbatini |
| 2000 | *Tiger Woods (276) -- Ernie Els |
| 1999 | David Duval (266) -- Mark O'Meara, Billy Mayfair |
| 1998 | Phil Mickelson (271) -- Mark O'Meara, Tiger Woods |
| 1997 | *#Tiger Woods (202) -- Tom Lehman |
| 1996 | Mark O'Meara (271) -- Nick Faldo, Scott Hoch |
| 1995 | *Steve Elkington (278) -- Bruce Lietzke |
| 1994 | *Phil Mickelson (276) -- Fred Couples |
| 1993 | Davis Love III (272) -- Tom Kite |
| 1992 | *Steve Elkington (279) -- Brad Faxon |
| 1991 | Tom Kite (272) -- Lanny Wadkins |
| 1990 | Paul Azinger (272) -- Ian Baker-Finch |
| 1989 | Steve Jones (279) -- David Frost, Jay Haas |
| 1988 | #Steve Pate (202) -- Larry Nelson |
| 1987 | Mac O'Grady (278) -- Rick Fehr |
| 1986 | Calvin Peete (267) -- Mark O'Meara |
| 1985 | Tom Kite (275) -- Mark McCumber |
| 1984 | Tom Watson (274) -- Bruce Lietzke |
| 1983 | Lanny Wadkins (280) -- Ray Floyd |
| 1982 | Lanny Wadkins (280) -- Andy Bean, David Graham, Craig Stadler, |
| Ron Streck |
| 1981 | Lee Trevino (273) -- Ray Floyd |
| 1980 | Tom Watson (276) -- Jim Colbert |
| 1979 | Tom Watson (275) -- Bruce Lietzke, Jerry Pate |
| 1978 | Gary Player (281) -- Andy North, Lee Trevino |
| 1977 | *Jack Nicklaus (281) -- Bruce Lietzke |
| 1976 | Don January (277) -- Hubert Green |
| 1975 | *Al Geiberger (277) -- Gary Player |
| 1974 | Johnny Miller (280) -- Bud Allin, John Mahaffey |
| 1973 | Jack Nicklaus (276) -- Lee Trevino |
| 1972 | *Bobby Mitchell (280) -- Jack Nicklaus |
| 1971 | Jack Nicklaus (279) -- Bruce Devlin, Gary Player, Dave Stockton |
| 1970 | Frank Beard (273) -- Billy Casper, Tony Jacklin, Gary Player |
| 1969 | Gary Player (284) -- Lee Trevino |
| 1968 | Don January (276) -- Julius Boros |
| 1967 | Frank Beard (278) -- Arnold Palmer |
| 1966 | *Arnold Palmer (277) -- Gay Brewer |
| 1965 | Arnold Palmer (277) -- Chi Chi Rodriguez |
| 1964 | Jack Nicklaus (279) -- Al Geiberger, Doug Sanders |
| 1963 | Jack Nicklaus (273) -- Tony Lema, Arnold Palmer |
| 1962 | Arnold Palmer (276) -- Billy Casper |
| 1961 | Sam Snead (273) -- Tommy Bolt |
| 1960 | Jerry Barber (268) -- Jay Hebert |
| 1959 | Mike Souchak (281) -- Art Wall |
| 1958 | Stan Leonard (275) -- Billy Casper |
| 1957 | Gene Littler (285) -- Billy Casper, Jimmy Demaret, Dow Finsterwald, |
| Billy Maxwell |
| 1956 | Gene Littler (281) -- Cary Middlecoff |
| 1955 | Gene Littler (280) -- Jerry Barber, Pete Cooper, Bob Toski |
| 1954 | Art Wall (278) -- Al Besselink, Lloyd Mangrum |
| 1953 | Al Besselink (280) -- Chandler Harper |
| Note:Formerly called Tournament of Champions (1953-74), MONY Tournament of |
|
Champions (1975-89), Infiniti Tournament of Champions (1990-93),
Mercedes Championships (1994-2006), Mercedes-Benz Championship
(2007-09), SBS Championship (2010).
|
| Top Contenders in the Field |
| Player | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 |
| Steve Stricker | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 2nd | --- | T-10 | T-4 | Won |
| Webb Simpson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-3 |
| Johnson Wagner | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 10th | --- | --- | T-9 |
| Nick Watney | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-5 | --- | T-16 | --- | T-12 |
| Scott Piercy | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-12 |
| Keegan Bradley | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 16th |
| Bubba Watson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-25 | T-18 |
| Mark Wilson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 27th | --- | T-27 | --- | T-18 |
| Bill Haas | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 8th | 20th |
| Scott Stallings | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-22 |
| Carl Pettersson | --- | --- | --- | 21st | T-22 | --- | 17th | --- | T-4 | --- |
| Matt Kuchar | T-25 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 3rd | T-6 | --- |
| Ian Poulter | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | --- |
| Dustin Johnson | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | 11th | T-16 | T-9 | --- |
| Zach Johnson | --- | --- | T-23 | --- | --- | T-20 | T-6 | 18th | T-23 | --- |
| Hunter Mahan | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-5 | --- | --- | T-25 | --- |
| Ryan Moore | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-6 | --- | --- |
| Brandt Snedeker | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-10 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| George McNeill | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-25 | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| J.J. Henry | --- | --- | --- | --- | T-8 | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ben Curtis | --- | 30th | --- | --- | 33rd | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Charlie Beljan | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jonas Blixt | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Jason Dufner | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Rickie Fowler | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Tommy Gainey | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| John Huh | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Marc Leishman | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Ted Potter, Jr. | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Kyle Stanley | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Sports Network Selections |
| Pick to Win - Keegan Bradley |
| Darkhorse - Bill Haas |
| |
| Last Week's Pick to Win - Dec 7-9 (K.Bradley/B.Steele) - Finished tied for 7th |
| Last Week's Darkhorse - Dec 7-9 (B.Cauley/R.Fowler) - Finished 9th |
| |
| NOTES: |
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The 2013 PGA Tour season begins this week with the first of back-to-back
events in Hawaii. First up in the Aloha State is the Hyundai Tournament of
Champions, which features only winners from the previous season's official
events.
This tournament kicks off the seventh season of the PGA Tour's FedExCup. The
winner of this event will earn 500 points and lead the race for the $10 million
FedExCup bonus. Tiger Woods won the FedExCup in 2007 and 2009, Vijay Singh
captured the Cup in 2008, Jim Furyk in 2010, Bill Haas in 2011 and Brandt
Snedeker last season.
This year, 37 players are eligible for this event, as there were six multiple
winners in 2012. Rory McIlroy, Woods, Justin Rose, Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald,
Ernie Els and Sergio Garcia are skipping the tournament. Of the 30 participants
this season, nine are competing for the first time. Only 10 players in the
field competed in last year's event. Defending champion Steve Stricker is the
only former champion in the field. Masters champion Bubba Watson is the
highest-ranked player in the field at No.8 in the world.
This is the 15th consecutive year in which this event is being held at the
Plantation Course at Kapalua. The Plantation Course unfurls across island
canyons, native vegetation and panoramic oceanfront plateaus. A shot-maker's
dream, players will find that the use of imagination and feel - along with
every club in their bag - is an asset here. Kapalua means "arms embracing the
sea." Although the Pacific Ocean is in full view on every tee box, there are no
water hazards on the course. Prior to Kapalua, the event was held at La Costa
Resort and Spa in California the previous 30 years. The first 16 were played in
Las Vegas; 14 at Desert Inn Country Club and two at Stardust Country Club. This
is the only course on the PGA Tour which uses a par 73. The Kapalua Resort was
previously the site of the Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International from 1982-97.
Last year, Stricker fired rounds of 68-63-69-69 to win by three strokes over
Martin Laird. He earned his 12th PGA Tour title at 23-under 269. The
45-year-old Stricker, one of just two players in the field to post all four
rounds in the 60s, has won nine times since turning 40. 2012 U.S. Open champion
Webb Simpson, who tied for third, also carded four rounds in the 60s.
In 2011, Jonathan Byrd parred the second playoff hole to defeat Robert
Garrigus. It was Byrd's second consecutive playoff victory in as many starts on
the PGA Tour. He won the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospitals for Children Open
near the end of 2010 when he aced the fourth playoff hole to topple Cameron
Percy and Laird. Byrd became the first American to capture this title since Jim
Furyk won in 2001.
This event had been won by foreign-born players from 2002-10: Geoff Ogilvy
(2009-10), Daniel Chopra (2008), Singh (2007), Stuart Appleby (2004-06), Els
(2003) and Garcia (2002).
Ogilvy fired a 6-under 67 in the final round of 2010, making key back-to-back
birdies to repeat as champion. He was the only player in the field to fire four
rounds in the 60s (69-66-68-67). Ogilvy held off a hard- charging Rory
Sabbatini with birdies at the 14th and 15th holes to earn a 1-shot victory at
22-under 270. It was the seventh career PGA Tour win for the Australian. Ogilvy
became the first repeat champion since Appleby won his third straight in 2006.
In 2009, after doing most of his damage on the front nine early in the week,
Ogilvy scorched the back nine in the final round en route to a 6-stroke win
over Anthony Kim and Davis Love III. Ogilvy closed with a 5-under 68, including
a 5-under par back nine, to finish the wire-to-wire victory at
24-under-par 268. Ogilvy was the only player in the field to fire four rounds
in the 60s (67-68-65-68). He became the 10th player to win this event
wire-to-wire and first since Steve Pate in 1988.
Chopra beat Stricker in 2008 with a birdie at the fourth playoff hole, bringing
a thrilling end to the PGA Tour's 2008 season-opener. All the drama ended in
Chopra's second career PGA Tour win -- his second victory in three starts,
actually, after going more than 130 starts and nearly four seasons without one.
Singh won his 30th PGA Tour title here in 2007 and reached three milestones.
He became the 17th player with 30 or more wins in PGA Tour history. The title
was also his 18th since turning 40. That broke the PGA Tour record for
victories over 40, passing Sam Snead. Singh has since collected four more wins
for a total of 34 and 22 since turning 40.
In 2006, Appleby became just the second player to 3-peat at this event. Gene
Littler accomplished the feat from 1955-57. Appleby is the leader in career
earnings at this tournament with $3,525,155 in seven starts.
When he won in 2003, Els blitzed the field, as he shot a tournament-record 261,
breaking the previous mark of 266 set by David Duval in 1999. Els also set
marks for 36 holes (129) and 54 holes (194), all of which still stand to this
day.
Littler owns the largest victory margin of 13, when he defeated Jerry Barber
and Pete Cooper in 1955. Jack Nicklaus is a 5-time winner of this tournament,
while Bruce Lietzke has been runner-up four times. Appleby, Arnold Palmer, Tom
Watson and Littler are 3-time winners. There have been 13 playoffs in the
history of the event, the last coming in 2011.
The first full-field event of the 2013 season will be played on the island of
Oahu next week, as the PGA Tour's best battle defending champion Johnson Wagner
at the Sony Open in Hawaii.
01/02 10:47:58 ET
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As of January 2, 2013, at 10:48 AM ET
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