More than 13 hours of Mercedes-Benz Championship coverage will be shown live on The Golf Channel next week from Kapalua's Plantation Course.

The tournament, which brings together the 2006 winners, opens the PGA Tour season Jan. 4 to 7 on Maui. Coverage is scheduled from 1 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. HST all four days.

Stuart Appleby is trying to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive title over a field of approximately 35. First prize is $1.1 million. Tickets are available at the gate or online at http://kapalua.com. For tournament information, call 866-669-2440.

SIMPSON, MCLACHLIN, HEAD TO HOST CLINIC

Scott Simpson, Parker McLachlin and Scott Head will host a free clinic at Ko Olina Golf Club, Jan. 6. It will run from 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., with a Titleist Demo sandwiching it, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.

The events are part of Ko Olina's partnership with PlayGolfAmerica, the PGA of America's national initiative to grow golf.

Simpson, the 1988 U.S. Open champion, is a former Kailua resident who now plays on the Champions Tour. McLachlin, the 1996 state high school champion out of Punahou, just earned his way on to the PGA Tour at Qualifying School. Head is Director of Golf at Treetops Resort in Michigan, where he oversees the Rick Smith Golf Academy and five championship courses. He previously worked at Princeville Resort and Waialae Country Club.

To register, or for more information, call 676-5300.

SONY, FIELDS OPENS SEEKING VOLUNTEERS

The Sony and Fields Opens in Hawai'i need volunteers for their upcoming tournaments.

Sony, the first full-field event of the PGA Tour season, is Jan. 11 to 14 at Waialae Country Club. The tournament needs volunteers for gallery control (Monday to Sunday), Shotlink (Wednesday to Sunday), pro transportation (Monday to Sunday), pro identification (Wednesday to Sunday) and to be on standby (Wednesday to Sunday).

Monday and Tuesday of tournament week are practice days. The King Auto Group Pro-Junior Skills Challenge will be Tuesday afternoon and the Pro-Am Wednesday.

For information and to volunteer, call 523-7888.

Fields is the second full-field event of the LPGA season and will be Feb. 22 to 24 at Ko Olina Golf Club. The season opens with the SBS Open at Turtle Bay, Feb. 15 to 17.

Fields needs volunteers for scoring, gallery control, parking and admissions. No experience is necessary; lunch and uniforms are provided. The tournament is also looking for residents interested in hosting LPGA pros.

For information, tickets and sponsorship opportunities, call 671-1727.

ALOHA SECTION, CASTLE RESORTS FORM PRO-AM

The new Aloha Section PGA Foundation is teaming with Castle Resorts to introduce the University of Hawai'i Scholarship/Pro-Am Series next year.

All Aloha Section PGA members and apprentices, and amateurs with a current USGA Ghin Handicap, are eligible to play in the four events. Entry fee for pros is $130 and amateurs $110. The team format features four amateurs and a pro, with score based on One Net/One Gross Best Ball per hole.

Schedule for the series is:

Feb. 2—12:30 p.m. shotgun at Hawai'i Prince;

April 27—1 p.m. shotgun at Pearl Country Club;

Aug. 31— 1 p.m. shotgun at Turtle Bay;

Nov. 30: 12:30 p.m. shotgun at Makaha Golf Club.

For information, contact the Aloha Section (593-2230 or http://aloha.pga.com).