Posted on: Thursday, December 20, 2007
GOLF REPORT
Unwrapping presents for our favorite golfers
By Bill Kwon
Best wishes for the holidays and a great New Year in 2008. In lieu of gift cards, here are the presents I'd like to some of our favorite golfers receive:
Tadd Fujikawa: A top-10 finish in the Sony Open in Hawai'i so that he can be eligible to play in the Buick Invitational in San Diego. The Bob Hope Chrysler Classic the following week is by-invitation only.
Parker McLachlin: His first PGA Tour victory. Wouldn't it be great if it came in the Sony Open in Hawai'i?
Scott Simpson: A lighter bag if he caddies for McLachlin again.
Allan Ano: More caddies signing up for the Sony Open.
Dean Wilson: A tour season surpassing the one he enjoyed in 2006 when he earned $2.5 million.
Michelle Wie: The pure golf swing and the confidence she once had. And exemptions to the two local LPGA events at Turtle Bay and Ko Olina.
Mari Chun: She's also at Stanford and enjoying a solid collegiate career with the women's golf team. More of the same.
Kimberly Kim: Another USGA women's championship to add to her impressive resume.
Stephanie Kono and Ayaka Kaneko: Great freshman seasons at UCLA and Pepperdine, respectively, after graduating in June.
Brandan Kop: Another successful University of Hawai'i football season to match his company's record sales of Warrior licensed merchandise following this year's "Perfect Season." And, oh yes, his fifth Manoa Cup title.
Riley Wallace: Avoiding the dreaded "Kwon's Law," that is, getting a score of double-bogey or more on the hole immediately following a birdie.
Bob Nash: Some golf lessons. And a Rainbow Classic championship trophy in his first year as head basketball coach to go along with the Most Outstanding Player award he won playing for the Fabulous Five in 1971.
June Jones: He doesn't need any more golf clubs, so how's about a victory over Georgia in the Sugar Bowl to culminate an unreal Warriors football season.
Gary Planos: Tiger Woods returning to play in the Mercedes-Benz Championship one of these years.
Sony Open in Hawai'i officials: Ditto for a Tiger appearance. You would think he'd show up at least once at Waialae in the 10 years Sony has sponsored the event. But thanks, folks, for keeping the PGA Tour event in Hawai'i and giving an exemption to a deserving local amateur golfer.
Mary Bea Porter-King: More precocious juniors to follow the likes of Tadd, Michelle, Kimberly, Stephanie and Ayaka.
Cyd Okino, Allisen Corpuz, Bradley Shigezawa, Lorens Chan, Chan Kim and Taeksoo Kim: A chance to show their stuff.
Ronn Miyashiro and Earl Tamiya: Keeping some of the local talent home to play for their respective UH-Manoa and UH-Hilo golf teams.
Guy Yamamoto, Jay Hinazumi and Ann Miller: Their first hole-in-one.
Don Hirata: Finding some help in the Aloha Section PGA office. Also, his first ace. He keeps playing with a new golf ball at every par-3, hoping to save it as a souvenir.
Aloha Section PGA: A new executive director to everyone's liking.
Phil Anamizu: A lengthy winning streak for his amateur team in the Gov. John A. Burns Challenge Cup.
Mark Rolfing: Continued success for his Golf Hawai'i television show.
Donna Kim: A lower golf handicap.
Brian Sasada: A new set of Cleveland clubs after his last set, bag and all, was stolen at the front door of a Honolulu Airport car rental the day before the Hawai'i State Open. "I think it's at Roots & Relics," says the Maui pro.
Bill Bachran: Continued good health in successfully running an efficient media center at PGA and LPGA events locally.
Kathy Ordway: Better turnouts for the two HSWGA major championships.
Greg Nichols: Another successful Fields Open in Hawai'i tournament at the Ko Olina Golf Club.
Matt Hall: The same for the Turtle Bay Resort counterpart, who's the host director of golf for the LPGA's SBS Open and the senior tour's Turtle Bay Championship.
David Ishii and Dick McClean: Top-10 finishes, at the very least, in the Turtle Bay Championship, the first full-field event opening the 2008 Champions Tour.
Cindy Rarick: May her last hurrah end with a victory in Hawai'i, where she won her first LPGA Tour event at Turtle Bay 20 years ago.
Clarence Yee: May the 81-year-old continue to shoot his age. He has done it more than 150 times and he doesn't count any round in the 80s.
Golfers, one and all: Good health and keep swinging. May every shot be downwind and every putt a tap-in.
Finally, may all nongolfers get the golf bug.
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