With Tiger Woods still on injured reserve, Sergio Garcia bent on getting a jump-start in the Race to Dubai, the European Tour's answer to the FedEx Cup, and Phil Mickelson again a no-show, you'd think that Kapalua's Gary Planos would be visibly disappointed that the top three golfers in the world won't be playing in the Mercedes-Benz Championship in January.

Not after Davis Love III won at Disney World last Sunday in the final official event to qualify for the champions-only event. He'll join Ernie Els as long-time-no-see friends of Kapalua among the 33 players expected to be in the field out of the tour's 37 different winners this year.

"It's great to have Ernie and Davis back in our field because they both won here — Ernie in 2003 and Davis in 1992 and '97 — and because they're fans of the Plantation Course," said Planos, vice-president of the Maui resort's golf operations.

Els set a course-record, 31-under-par 261 in winning the 2003 Mercedes championship and went on to the first of back-to-back Sony Open triumphs the following week at the Waialae Country Club. Love won the Lincoln-Mercury Kapalua International twice before the event shifted into high gear and became the Mercedes-Benz Championship to open the PGA season.

"The Big Easy," who still reached the $2 million mark in earnings for the third straight year despite a 0-for-47 PGA winless streak that ended with victory in the Honda Classic in February, will be making his first appearance at Kapalua in four years. Meanwhile, Love just made it under the wire at Disney World, ending a two-year victory drought. It'll be his first time back at Kapalua since 2007.

"We were all cheering here at Kapalua," Planos said. "It was something to see Davis shoot 128 over the weekend, and getting it up and down at 18 on Sunday."

Love's victory was simply a bonus, according to Planos, initially excited about Els finally being back.

"I think Ernie likes starting his year out in Hawai'i. He can play two in a row. I've heard him say that it sets up his West Coast schedule a lot better."

But it won't be all play and no work for Els. It just so happens that in between the Mercedes (Jan. 5 to 11) and Sony Open (Jan. 12 to 18), the 39-year-old South African will be here for the grand opening of his new golf course, the Hoakalei Country Club, in 'Ewa Beach.

One couldn't ask for a better two weeks in Hawai'i, according to Els.

We had a chance to interview Els by e-mail and asked about his upcoming two-week stay in the Islands.

"Couldn't be better really, could it?" Els replied. "I love starting my PGA Tour year with these back-to-back tournaments in Hawai'i. And we're all very excited about the new golf course at Hoakalei. We're got a great mix of holes, incredible views, and the way we've designed the hole-routings the course will never play the same from one day to the next. I think Hoakalei would be a wonderful venue for any PGA event some time in the future. There's no doubt that the golf course is good enough. We're some ways off getting to the point where we have firm plans but we're very optimistic."

As for not playing in the Mercedes and Sony Open in recent years, Els said it was "way too long!" but he knew he'd be back for both of them. "It never crossed my mind that I wouldn't win again," said Els, who has three majors among his 16 tour victories. "I've got a pretty good record there (at Waialae). To be honest I've really missed it these past few years."

How do your rate your play this year?

"Mixed, I think is the word. I've played some good stuff out there, obviously with the win at the Honda and then I had a great chance in the U.S. Open. Trouble is, I've been pretty much clueless on the greens all year, although that side of my game has improved in the latter half of the season. My game has been way too inconsistent, but I kind of expected this. I'm making some fundamental changes to my swing with Butch (Harmon) and we both knew it would take time. You just have to stay patient, keep working hard."

As for his 2009 schedule after Hawai'i, Els says he still has to sit down and finalize his plans. "But, yes, there will be a few changes. Obviously, with us having a base in West Palm Beach, (Fla.), that's going to affect my PGA Tour schedule a little bit. It'll basically make things easier for me. Also, the European Tour's Race to Dubai starts in 2009 and that will bring a new look to their end-of-tour schedule."

As one who has an autographed bottle of Ernie Els cabernet sauvignon stored away, I couldn't let him get away without asking about his wine business.

"It's going really well. We've won a lot of awards and scored high ratings in some of the prestigious industry wine magazines," he said. "A lot of people are starting to take notice of Ernie Els wines. We're not in the business for vanity; we're really passionate about making great wine."

He also plans on opening a chain of wine bars called, "The Big Easy," the first restaurant opening in Stellenbosch (South Africa), where his winery is located. "We will monitor the progress and, if there is demand and it goes well, we will look at select destinations. And, yes, Hawai'i would definitely fit the bill," Els said.

I'll drink to that.