The last time somebody took the Waialae Country Club to the woodshed like that, they ditched the sponsor, altered the scorecard and moved the event from fall to winter.
It’s unlikely Russell Henley’s convincing win at Sunday’s Sony Open in Hawaii will have the same effect as John Huston’s victory here in 1998, but the historical 24-under finish highlights how quickly the face of the PGA Tour is aging like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s Benjamin Button.
Youth is being served by a generation of golfers born believing in Tiger Woods. They don’t know they aren’t supposed to win the first time to the big dance. Their experiences on the Nationwide, and now Web.com, Tour have prepared them for the perceived pressures that await on the big boys circuit.
The talk early last week was this sudden onslaught of rookie golfers ready to etch their names on some trophies. Granted, the 144-man field won’t be confused with a final four FedEx Cup event, but the U.S. Open winner was in the house, as were fellow major titleholders Keegan Bradley, Zach Johnson and Vijay Singh.
South African Tim Clark is no slouch himself. Wielding a putter that practically shaves his chin, Clark is one of those golfers who grinds it out week to week and month to month. He only has one PGA Tour win, but has finished second 11 times. Charles Howell III was also on the loose, earning his seventh top-five finish in 11 appearances at the Sony Open.
No matter to Henley and junior golf mate Scott Langley. Born barely two weeks apart, these two goofballs were a breath of fresh air at the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where they tied for low amateur; high-fiving it up with any and everyone on a cart path. This time through, they were more subdued, but still kids at heart right up to Henley’s final birdie.
Clark could only stand by and watch, a smile creasing his face at the 17th, as the Hardy Boys sank putts from parts unknown like Chevy Chase in “Caddyshack.” To quote the king, “Thank you very little.”
AS FOR THE event itself, well, that’s another matter to be addressed in the coming months. With no sponsor signed on Maui and Sony entering the final year of what many feel is its farewell address, you wonder what fate awaits these two tournaments that will no longer start the PGA Tour year beginning in 2014.
Some have suggested that, in 2015, the Maui event will slip into this tour time slot, giving the top players some separation from the holidays and a reason to come back to the Plantation Course.
Maybe then, this tournament is shifted to late into the fall schedule, perhaps the last event of the calendar year, giving you back-to-back tour stops a couple of months apart.
But whatever happens, status quo might not be in the mix. You would think Hawaiian Airlines, ever expanding on the mainland front, could step up and be a title sponsor that could help raise dollars through charity work that stay in the community. Put some of those baggage fees toward helping those in need.
Just an idea. Because if something’s not done, it’s likely the youth movement that’s gripping the tour will be ripping it up some place other than Waialae soon enough.
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Reach Paul Arnett at parnett@staradvertiser.com
