Pretty much everybody who was anybody at the Hawaiian Open in the 1980s and early ’90s will be here in September for the inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship, Sept. 14-16 at Kapolei Golf Course.
The commitment sheet is surprisingly large for so early in the game — and the event was only announced in April.
Greg Norman was in on the announcement and the first to commit. He is an “ambassador” for Pacific Links and is renovating Makaha West. The company also owns Kapolei, Makaha East and Olomana here and leases Royal Hawaiian.
Hawaii’s David Ishii was next. He was surprised with an exemption at his annual foundation tournament.
“I think, collectively within our team,” said tournament general manager Dale Nagata, “we felt David — as a past champion and because of what he’s done for the state and local golf — was a perfect fit.”
Ishii won the 1990 Hawaiian Open, along with 14 Japan golf tour events. Other early commitments include former Open champions Andy Bean (1980), Hale Irwin (1981), Isao Aoki (1983), Mark O’Meara (1985), Corey Pavin (1986 and ’87), Gene Sauers (1989), John Cook (1992), John Huston (1998) and Sony Open champs Jeff Sluman (1999) and Brad Faxon (2001). Mark Calcavecchia, Tom Kite and Fred Funk are also in.
Pavin, Hubert Green and British Open champion Ernie Els are the only golfers to defend at Waialae Country Club since the Open became a tour event in 1965. Hawaii remains Pavin’s favorite place to visit and he and wife Lisa were married on Maui in 2003.
“Hawaii has always been special to me, even before I won the Sony Open,” Pavin wrote in an email. “The people of Hawaii have always treated me well.”
Pavin, 52, has won $2.5 million since starting on the Champions Tour last year. He won this year’s first full-field event. Pavin earned $16 million on the regular tour, but it doesn’t sound as if he enjoyed it quite as much.
“On the Champions Tour it’s enjoyable for me to be with guys that I have known for a very long time,” Pavin said. “For instance, Jeff Hart and I go all the way back to when we were 8 years old. If you do the math, it was a long time ago.”
Nagata, who has been involved with Sony Open since its inception, said the tour was surprised at the number of players to sign up early.
“They told me there are more commitments for our event than the tournaments before us,” he said.
The tournament at Kapolei is the only event on the Champions and regular tour in September. It will be broadcast in prime time on the East Coast (1:30-4 p.m. here). The purse is $1.8 million and there is no cut for the 81-man field, with the winner getting $270,000.
Pacific Links just learned it was successful in gaining two more exemptions for a local qualifier. Things are moving quickly. Things had to.
“Obviously we want to do a good job (this year) and have good momentum for next year,” Nagata said. “We want to make sure all the sponsors are happy with what we showcase. … For us to execute a PGA event in three to four months is tough.
“This is the fifth PGA event here this year, so everybody has already been hit before we knock on their door. We’ll just try our best and hope to showcase Kapolei and Hawaii.”
Pacific Links does have one unusual advantage. It is trying to round up more than 700 volunteers and is offering them the usual caps and shirts. But, because it owns multiple courses, it is also offering three-day volunteers three free rounds at any PLH course. Volunteers who stick around four days get four rounds.
Volunteers can sign up at pacificlinksvolunteers.com or call 738-9226.
