Champions return

As the Champions Tour season begins its closing run in 2012 it will return to the scene of its start last January. The inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship tees off Sept. 14 at Kapolei Golf Course.

This will be the 39th senior event here. The tour traditionally opens with the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

That tournament of champions had 41 players this year. Pacific Links will have twice that many, including Hawaii’s David Ishii, who was given an exemption.

Greg Norman and Corey Pavin have both announced they will be here. Among others expected to play are John Cook, Brad Faxon, Fred Funk, Hale Irwin, Mark O’Meara, Jeff Sluman and Scott Simpson, who have all won in Hawaii.

Cook, the 1992 Hawaiian Open champion, is sixth on the 2012 money list, but has not won this year. He has eight Champions Tour victories since turning 50, including at least one each of the previous five years. He won three times last year, beginning at Hualalai, where he closed with consecutive 64s. Cook was third at Mitsubishi this year, shooting 31 on the back nine.

Irwin, 67, has represented Hawaii for years on the tour, most notably with Kapalua. His success here has been phenomenal, with wins at the 1981 Hawaiian Open, 1997 and 2007 Mitsubishi, five Turtle Bay Championships and three Senior Skins Games.

He has collected more than $4 million in Hawaii and his last win was at Mitsubishi. Earlier this year he made his 1,054th career start in a PGA Tour or Champions event, moving him past Arnold Palmer into fourth place.

Miller Barber leads that list with 1,294 starts and Hawaii’s Dave Eichelberger, who could play at Kapolei, is next with 1,250. Charles Coody is third with 1,070.

Barry Lane, who also used to represent Kapalua, also could play next week. He just won his fourth European Seniors title.

Pacific Links is the 20th of 24 official senior events in 2012. The season concludes with the Charles Schwab Cup Championship in November.

When the tour started in 1980 there were four events and total prize money of $475,000. The Pacific Links purse is $1.8 million and official prize money this season is just over $50 million.

Kapolei was the site of the Hawaiian Ladies Open from 1996-2001. It was designed by Ted Robinson and his signature water features come into play on 12 holes. There are also more than 80 bunkers. It is the fifth Hawaii venue to host an official senior event, after Royal Kaanapali, Ko Olina, Hualalai and Turtle Bay.

Tickets are available at all Roger Dunn and Pro Am golf shops, and Makaha, Kapolei, Olomana, Royal Hawaiian, New Ewa, Mililani and Pearl golf courses. Tickets for the Pro-Ams Wednesday and next Thursday are available at Kapolei only.

For more information, go to pacificlinkshawaiichampionship.com.