Lots to say about Tiger Woods but we'll save that for the end.

We've got much more interesting stories to look back on and forward to.


SBS CHAMPIONSHIP


It's another tournament at the Kapalua Plantation course, but it's never "just" a tournament when it's the SBS Championship. It's the cream of the crop, the champions of the year before.

This is the best time to walk with your favorite winner of the past year, assuming he is playing golf at this time of the year. There are maybe 40 players. The gallery has an intimate feel. The views are spectacular. The food is excellent. The celebrities are in attendance for the Pro-Am. It's a must not miss event of the season.


Most PGA Tour players wouldn't miss the opportunity to play the Plantation and then be pampered by Kapalua. And if the player is married, he definitely has to play because his wife has heard the stories from other players about the extra special treatment they get.

Who, or what, is "SBS"? Seoul Broadcasting System. Kapalua has this on the website to tell us more:

"Founded in 1990, SBS began broadcasting its full-fledged TV network and radio programming in 1991. Today, the audience of SBS includes Koreans, overseas Koreans and people from around the world. In March 2004, SBS moved into its new headquarters in Mokdong, which is also the center of the SBS multimedia group. The new headquarters will become the foundation for the company to embark on a digital broadcasting revolution and enable the company to compete effectively in the coming ubiquitous age of media.

SBS not only operates a terrestrial television channel, two FM channels and an AM channel for radio programming, but also owns four cable and satellite channels that encompass sports, golf, drama series, and entertainment. SBS has several subsidiary companies, including SBS Newstech, a specialized media technology company, SBS Artech, a computer graphics and art company, SBS Productions, Inc., a TV program production and distribution company, SBSi, an Internet and new media company, and SBS International, an overseas subsidiary."

Tickets are available at the gate. All the money goes to Maui charities. The sponsors put up the hefty prize money for the PGA Tour players.

2010 SONY OPEN


The first full field event of the 2010 PGA Tour season kicks off on Oahu at the Waialae Country Club.

This is where the local players and the top PGA Tour players and the newbie's on the Tour, the Q-School graduates and Nationwide Tour graduates, get to mix it up.

It's got to be such an odd mix of emotions. The "young" guns getting their first taste of action on the big stage. The champions surrounded by the media and fans.

We've got all of the winners of the 2009 majors in the field. Masters champion Angel Cabrera, U.S. Open winner Zach Johnson, British Open champ Stewart Cink (Almost called him spoiler because of the way Tom Watson was blown out by Cink in the playoff after Watson seemed destined to win. It could be argued that Watson just didn't have any gas left after 72 holes and lost.) And PGA Championship champ Y.E. Yang.

Yangs' performance against Tiger Woods was actually the beginning of the end of the Woods myth. Most people were in shock when Woods faltered to the finish of a championship. And this wasn't "just" a championship. It was the final major of the year. Woods last chance in 2009 to win a major.

There are three Hawaii born and raised professionals in the field, PGA Tour player Parker McLachlin plus Dean Wilson and Tadd Fujikawa. Wilson and Fujikawa in the field through sponsor exemptions.


In addition, University of Hawaii golfer T.J. Kua is getting another taste of PGA Tour level golf. The 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii Amateur Governor's Cup Qualifying was held on December 21st at the Waialae Country Club. Kua beat the other 11 top Hawaii amateurs by two strokes. Kua shot a 67. Mike Kawate a 69 followed by Jonathan Ota with a 72. Tied for 4th, Nainoa Calip and Brandon Kop. Tied for 5th, Bradley Shigezawa, Lorens Chan and Ryan Perez. Tied for 6th, Christian Akau and Matt Ma. David Sake and Scott Ichimura took 7th and 8th.


GET YOUR TICKETS AT THE GATE or FIRST HAWAIIAN BANK

Thank you to all of the 1400 volunteers who really make the Sony Open in Hawaii work. You've gotta have a sponsor but this is team work, a PGA Tour event. If you'd like to be a volunteer in the future, whether it's gallery control or driving a car, check out www.FriendsOfHawaii.org.

THE TURTLE BAY RESORT HAWAII STATE OPEN

Almost didn't have a Hawaii State Open this year and then the Turtle Bay Resort stepped up and it turned into one of the most successful ever. Just the idea of losing the event probably got a lot of people to get out and support it and playing at Turtle Bay is always a pleasure.

Certainly worked for Jesse Mueller of Mesa, Arizona. Mueller came over at the beginning of the year and walked away with the Pearl Open in Hawaii trophy. Now he's taking the check at the Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open. Kind of like bookends, and yes, he will be in Hawaii to defend his title at Pearl Country Club in February. "The Golf Club will be broadcasting from the Pearl Open too. That is where we are going to announce the second winner of the Las Vegas flyaway aboard Hawaiian Airlines for four nights at the Las Vegas Hilton in a Director's Suite plus a foursome at the Las Vegas Country Club. We're the 18th caller twice during the Saturday show to qualify the contestants. You could be a qualifier.


Mueller shot an 8-under-par 64 on the final day, closing out the three-day event with a 19-under 197.

Hawaii's Dean Wilson worked hard, with a 6-under 66 on the final day and a three-day total of 204 for second. That's 12 under par but still 7 strokes off the pace set by Mueller.

Mueller said it was his putting that made the difference. Yes, good old putting.

(Here's a stat for you to think about. Steve Stricker would have made an additional 2.3 million dollars this past year if he holed 1 more putt each event that he played. 2.3 million dollars MORE if he had made just one more putt in each event he played.)

Tied for third, at 9-under 207, Sam Cyr of San Diego, Michael Feuerstein of La Jolla and low amateur David Fink of Kailua.


Kirk Nelson, who just turned 50, won the Senior Division title, closing with a 2-over-par 74 for a 10-under total of 206 and a two stroke victory over second place.

I love what Nelson said about his game after beating Champions Tour player Dave Eichelberger and Aloha Section PGA Senior Player of the Year Lance Taketa.

"For me, it's very strange, because I'm not that good. I had a nice lead, but I just played one shot at a time."


So far we have heard what many consider the two most often used clichés to explain how they won their division at the Open. Mueller said it was his putting and Nelson said he just took it "one shot at a time". You know there has got to be something to practicing your putting and your mental game!

By the way, for your mental game, I highly recommend David MacKenzie's "GolfStateofMind", an excellent CD. I listen to it in my car. I'm amazed at how well it helps me in traffic and on the golf course.

Another tidbit, before we take a look at the how the women did.

Between Thanksgiving and Christmas and the New Year, Americans gain an average of 12 pounds. This is from Ted Vickey, the creator of Fitwell LLC, who won the 1995 White House Athletic Center contract under the Bush-Clinton-Bush Administrations.

He has some very good advice about how to get rid of that weight and get in gear with "101 Fitness Tips for Golf ", an excellent, simple guide: www.tedvickey.com.

TURTLE BAY HAWAII STATE OPEN CONTINUED

In the Women's Division, there was a three-way tie for first. LPGA member Katie Kempter of Albuquerque, New Mexico, won the title after a birdie on the second hole in the playoff with defending champ Cyd Okino and Xyra Suyetsugu of Honolulu.


In the Men's and Women's A-Flight, the young guns indeed have taken over. In Bill Kwon's "Around the Greens" in mid December, he wrote about a conversation with David Ishii, who won the Hawaii State Open three times before winning the 1990 United Airlines Hawaiian Open.

Ishii tells Kwon, in the "old" days, "The older players were the stronger players. The game has turned around, flip-flopped." Why?

"The clubs were heavier before and the (younger) players had a harder time. Now the clubs are lighter, the balls go farther so the kids hit it longer now."

Here's the evidence. 13-year-old Justin Kurihara of Honolulu shot a three-day total 220 to win the Men's A-Flight division and 12-year-old Iris Kawada of Kaneohe won the Women's A-Flight with a 254.

HAWAII STATE OPEN CELEBRITY PLAYER

The Turtle Bay Resort Hawaii State Open 2009 had the largest field ever. There were 261 players registered. And in that field, a celebrity who plays a good game of golf even if it isn't his forte.

Kelly Slater, with 9 world championships, is often in the tabloids because of who his female friends are - some of Hollywood's A list actresses.

But on this December weekend along the North Shore, Slater isn't waiting for the perfect wave or escorting one of his friends; he is one of the hopeful in the Open. The first two rounds he was paired with John Lynch and Tony Finau.

Slater wasn't all that happy with his performance, even though he says he loves both the Arnold Palmer and George Fazio courses at Turtle Bay Resort. So if the waves aren't breaking, you may find Slater on the links instead.

HAWAII'S TOP EARNING PROFESSIONAL GOLFER TAKES 2ND


Michelle Wie is playing incredible golf. She is earning more money as a professional than any player from Hawaii, and that is NOT counting the endorsement deal income she may have. Isn't that a turn around in one short year.

While many worry about the state of the LPGA Tour schedule, Wie made it through Stanford exams and played an excellent tournament in Dubai. Didn't win but came close. And she did that with a wounded ankle. Check out the power she has in her downswing and how much energy her ankle has to absorb in the picture below.


In-Kyung Kim of South Korea claimed a three-shot victory at the season-ending tournament for her first European Tour title. Wie shot a 7-under 65, tied for the day's best round, but the 13th-ranked Kim responded to the pressure with a 4-under 68 that left her at 18-under 270. Maria Hjorth of Sweden was third at 274 after a 68.

"Michelle had a great turn. She had six birdies until 13 and that was very impressive," Kim said. "But I tried to keep playing my game and I think I did a good job. After I made the birdie on the 10th, I knew I was playing well and had nothing to worry [about]."

Wie could have made Kim sweat on No. 18, but her attempt to reach the green in two failed when her ball rolled back into a water hazard. Wie made par but the pressure was off Kim.

"I was annoyed by that second shot. But you know, other than that, I felt like I tried my hardest out there," Wie said.


Sweden's Sophie Gustafson, who finished at 6 under and tied for 14th, did enough to win the European Tour's Order of Merit title ahead of Catriona Matthew of Scotland.

Anna Nordqvist of Sweden was named rookie of the year after shooting a 72 that gave her a share of fourth at 11 under with France's Virginie Lagoutte-Clement (65), England's Laura Davies (67) and Spain's Tania Elosegui (69).

POPS AND SUNSHINE and DREAM ON

Two books I'd really like to recommend. One will strike a chord as we all try to balance a hectic schedule and accomplish our goals. The book is by John Richardson and titled "Dream On". He has already signed the movie rights for this one.

The other book is "Pops and Sunshine". It is a wonderful story, a novel, about a young woman facing her final event of the season and, what could be her career ending event, if she doesn't earn enough to make it to the LPGA. Author Dave Andrews working on getting this made into a movie as well. But read it first. You'll feel so much closer to all of the players on the women's tours.

SEE YOU ON THE RADIO

That just about wraps things up for me this month. You can find me on Oahu on a new radio station, for "The Golf Club". It's "The Jewel" at 99.5 FM.

Oh. Yea. About Tiger. What could I possibly add that I haven't said on "The Golf Club"? What could I possibly write that hasn't been scribbled.

More than anything, I hope he is, or becomes, a good father. Whether he can repair his marriage, or Elin can forgive him, is between two adults. They'll go on with their lives however they decide. The children, they didn't ask for this and have no choice. Fortunately they are young and didn't have to experience the media onslaught.

Can Woods resurrect his image? Will Woods be hurt financially? Would it be better for golf if they got a quickie divorce?
These questions, posed by authors only to fill pages with words to fuel the curious minds, are hurtful, shallow and selfish.

So let's enjoy 2010.

It's a new year.
Thank you for your Mana, and may you hit the sweet spot every time.

Aloha,
Danielle

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