Kapalua's contribution to the PGA Tour season comes with a new name and several new options next week.

The SBS Championship kicks off the golf season next Thursday at the resort's Plantation Course. Geoff Ogilvy is defending his title against an elite field of some 30 golfers who won this year. Seoul Broadcasting System has taken over title sponsorship from Mercedes-Benz, which moved the tournament to Maui in 1999.

The field includes major champions Y.E. Yang (PGA Championship), Lucas Glover (U.S. Open), Angel Cabrera (Masters) and Stewart Cink, the first reigning British Open champion to play on Maui in five years. Yang, who also won the Honda Classic this year, is looking to capture his second SBS title — the 2002 SBS Championship on the Korean Tour was his first career victory.

Others expected at Kapalua include: Steve Stricker, who was second on Maui in 2008 and currently ranks third in the world; Zach Johnson, who will defend his Sony Open in Hawai'i title a week later; and 49-year-old Kenny Perry, who is making his fourth start at Kapalua — more than anyone else in the field — and seventh start in the event.

Ogilvy also won the World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championship this year. He became the third wire-to-wire winner at Kapalua last January, following Ernie Els and Vijay Singh. He is the only past champion in the field.

Kapalua is offering new ticket packages. An 18th green Skybox seating upgrade is available Thursday, Friday and Saturday with the purchase of a ticket. Cost of the upgrade is $25 weekdays or $40 Saturday. The Weekender Package includes two tickets to both Saturday and Sunday, four lunch vouchers and 15 percent off items in the merchandise tent. It costs $90 until Sunday and $125 after.

The tournament's Spectator Village is open from 6 a.m. Wednesday, 7:30 a.m. Thursday and 8:30 a.m. the rest of the week. It includes a 3-hole putting course, dining and merchandise tents, live radio broadcasts, a whale information booth and Kapalua Maui Charities silent auction. Items up for bid include autographed memorabilia, vacation packages and art.

There will also be two swing cages operated by Aloha Section PGA pros, who will analyze swings and provide free 10-minute lessons. Three cages will be available the following week at Sony, the first full-field event of the year, at Waialae Country Club. Lessons will be given Thursday to Sunday each week, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Some of the Aloha Section pros expected to teach are Jerry King, Claude Brousseau, Ben Hongo, John Lynch and Jason Deigert. Special instruction from Patriot Golf Day founder Maj. Dan Rooney and motivational speaker D.J. Gregory will also be offered.

For more information, contact the section at 593-2230 or aloha@pgahq.com.

DALY PLAYING IN SONY FOR FIFTH TIME

John Daly, whose roller-coaster golf career just keeps careening, has received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Sony Open in Hawai'i, which starts Jan. 14 at Waialae Country Club. Daly, 43, has won five tour events, the last in 2004.

He earned $69,000 this year, making three cuts in six starts after returning to the tour with limited status. This is Daly's fifth Sony. His best finish was a tie for 28th three years ago.

Hawai'i's Tadd Fujikawa, Dean Wilson and TJ Kua, along with WC Liang and Kaname Yokoo, received exemptions. Kua earned his slot at the amateur qualifier last week. He is the nephew of 1990 Hawaiian Open champion David Ishii, who is not playing this year.

Japanese golfers Daisuke Maruyama and Ryuichi Oda received the Commissioner Exemptions for foreign players. Punahou graduate Parker McLachlin is making his sixth Sony start and Hilo's Kevin Hayashi is back for his eighth, as the Aloha Section champion. McLachlin tied for 10th two years ago.

The tentative field also has most of the SBS players, including the four major champions, and former Sony winners Zach Johnson (2009), K.J. Choi (2008), Paul Goydos (2007), David Toms (2006) and Jerry Kelly (2002). John Huston, who won the last "Hawaiian Open" in 1998, shattering the scoring record at Waialae, is also back.

Sony week kicks off Jan. 12 with the King Auto Group Pro-Junior Skills Challenge. It starts at 2:45 p.m. at Waialae's 18th hole. Pros playing are Fujikawa, Kelly, McLachlin, Stricker and Wilson. Hawai'i juniors who earned spots are Alika Bell, Lorens Chan, Allisen Corpuz, defending champion Cassy Isagawa and Justin Keiley.

Pros play for $10,000 and the Hawai'i State Junior Golf Association will receive $10,000. Admission is free.