Sony Open in Hawaii

The Sony Open in Hawaii is a professional golf tournament on the PGA Tour, and is part of the tour's FedEx Cup Series. It has been contested at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, since the event's modern-day inception as the Hawaiian Open in November 1965.[1]

"Sony Open" redirects here. For the tennis tournament currently sponsored by Sony, see Miami Masters.
Sony Open in Hawaii
Tournament information
LocationHonolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
Established1965, 56 years ago
Course(s)Waialae Country Club
Par70
Length7,044 yards (6,441 m)
Organized byFriends of Hawaii Charities
Tour(s)PGA Tour
FormatStroke play
Prize fund$6.6 million
Month playedJanuary
Tournament record score
Aggregate253* Justin Thomas (2017)
* PGA Tour record
To par−28 John Huston (1998)
Current champion
Kevin Na
Location Map
Waialae Country Club
Location on Oahu in the state of Hawaii

In addition to the usual PGA Tour eligibility criteria, the Sony Open may invite up to three professional golfers from emerging markets.[2]

History

Originally a mid-autumn event for its first five editions, it was skipped in 1970 as it moved to its winter slot in early February 1971.[3] Currently, it is held in mid-January and is the first full-field event of the calendar year, following the Tournament of Champions on Maui. The front and back nines of Waialae are switched for the PGA Tour event, finishing at the dogleg ninth hole.[4]

The first lead sponsor was United Airlines in 1991, succeeded by current sponsor Sony in 1999. There have been five multiple winners of the tournament, all two-time champions: Hubert Green, Corey Pavin, Lanny Wadkins, Ernie Els, and Jimmy Walker. All have won major championships. The tournament is currently organized by Friends of Hawaii Charities.[5]

In 1983, forty-year-old Isao Aoki became Japan's first winner on the PGA Tour. He holed out a wedge shot for an eagle-3 on the 72nd hole to beat Jack Renner by a stroke.[6][7]

The Sony Open gained attention for granting four consecutive sponsor invitations (PGA Tour Exemption #11) to Michelle Wie, the first in 2004 when she was age 14.[8] She missed the cut in all four appearances,[9] and did not receive one of the four available sponsor exemptions in 2008. One of the invitations went to Alex Ching, a 17-year-old former high school classmate of Wie.

In 2007, amateur Tadd Fujikawa become the second youngest player ever (16 years, 4 days) to make a 36-hole cut in an official PGA Tour event.[9][10] His achievement was highlighted by a 15-foot (4.6 m) eagle putt on his 36th hole, Waialae's 551-yard par-5 18th. Incidentally, the PGA Tour's 2006 media guide shows that the youngest player ever to make a 36-hole cut in an official Tour event was Bob Panasik (15 years, 8 months, and 20 days) in 1957 at the Canadian Open,[11] 3½ months younger than Fujikawa.

Preparations for the 2018 Sony Open were briefly disrupted by a false emergency alert stating that a ballistic missile had been launched toward Hawaii. Staff members reportedly attempted to take shelter in the players' locker room, the media center was ordered to evacuate, and several players posted messages on social media about the erroneous alert, which was sent to all smartphones in the state.[12] The alert was ultimately determined to have been sent in error.[13] Before the final round, Golf Channel cameramen also staged a walkout.[14]

Winners
YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victory		Runner(s)-upWinner's
share ($)
Sony Open in Hawaii
2021 Kevin Na259−211 stroke Chris Kirk
Joaquín Niemann		1,188,000
2020 Cameron Smith269−11Playoff Brendan Steele1,188,000
2019 Matt Kuchar258−224 strokes Andrew Putnam1,152,000
2018 Patton Kizzire263−17Playoff James Hahn1,116,000
2017 Justin Thomas253[15]−277 strokes Justin Rose1,080,000
2016 Fabián Gómez260−20Playoff Brandt Snedeker1,044,000
2015 Jimmy Walker (2)257−239 strokes Scott Piercy1,008,000
2014 Jimmy Walker263−171 stroke Chris Kirk1,008,000
2013 Russell Henley256−243 strokes Tim Clark1,008,000
2012 Johnson Wagner267−132 strokes Harrison Frazar
Charles Howell III
Sean O'Hair
Carl Pettersson		990,000
2011 Mark Wilson264−162 strokes Tim Clark
Steve Marino		990,000
2010 Ryan Palmer265−151 stroke Robert Allenby990,000
2009 Zach Johnson265−152 strokes Adam Scott
David Toms		972,000
2008 K. J. Choi266−143 strokes Rory Sabbatini954,000
2007 Paul Goydos266−141 stroke Luke Donald
Charles Howell III		936,000
2006 David Toms261−195 strokes Chad Campbell
Rory Sabbatini		918,000
2005 Vijay Singh269−111 stroke Ernie Els864,000
2004 Ernie Els (2)262−18Playoff Harrison Frazar864,000
2003 Ernie Els264−16Playoff Aaron Baddeley810,000
2002 Jerry Kelly266−141 stroke John Cook720,000
2001 Brad Faxon260−204 strokes Tom Lehman720,000
2000 Paul Azinger261−197 strokes Stuart Appleby522,000
1999 Jeff Sluman271−92 strokes Davis Love III
Jeff Maggert
Len Mattiace
Chris Perry
Tommy Tolles		468,000
United Airlines Hawaiian Open
1998 John Huston260−28[16]7 strokes Tom Watson324,000
1997 Paul Stankowski271−17Playoff Jim Furyk
Mike Reid		216,000
1996 Jim Furyk277−11Playoff Brad Faxon216,000
1995 John Morse269−193 strokes Tom Lehman
Duffy Waldorf		216,000
1994 Brett Ogle269−191 stroke Davis Love III216,000
1993 Howard Twitty269−194 strokes Joey Sindelar216,000
1992 John Cook265−232 strokes Paul Azinger216,000
United Hawaiian Open
1991 Lanny Wadkins (2)270−184 strokes John Cook198,000
Hawaiian Open
1990 David Ishii279−91 stroke Paul Azinger180,000
1989 Gene Sauers197−191 stroke David Ogrin135,000
1988 Lanny Wadkins271−171 stroke Richard Zokol108,000
1987 Corey Pavin (2)270−18Playoff Craig Stadler108,000
1986 Corey Pavin272−162 strokes Paul Azinger90,000
1985 Mark O'Meara267−211 stroke Craig Stadler90,000
1984 Jack Renner271−17Playoff Wayne Levi90,000
1983 Isao Aoki268−201 stroke Jack Renner58,500
1982 Wayne Levi277−111 stroke Scott Simpson58,500
1981 Hale Irwin265−236 strokes Don January58,500
1980 Andy Bean266−223 strokes Lee Trevino58,500
1979 Hubert Green (2)267−213 strokes Fuzzy Zoeller54,000
1978 Hubert Green274−14Playoff Billy Kratzert50,000
1977 Bruce Lietzke273−153 strokes Don January
Takashi Murakami		48,000
1976 Ben Crenshaw270−184 strokes Hale Irwin
Larry Nelson		46,000
1975 Gary Groh274−141 stroke Al Geiberger44,000
1974 Jack Nicklaus271−173 strokes Eddie Pearce44,000
1973 John Schlee273−152 strokes Orville Moody40,000
1972 Grier Jones274−14Playoff Bob Murphy40,000
1971 Tom Shaw273−151 stroke Miller Barber40,000
1970No tournament: month of play changed from November to February
1969 Bruce Crampton274−144 strokes Jack Nicklaus25,000
1968 Lee Trevino272−162 strokes George Archer25,000
1967 Dudley Wysong284−4Playoff Billy Casper20,000
1966 Ted Makalena271−173 strokes Billy Casper
Gay Brewer		8,500
1965 Gay Brewer281−7Playoff Bob Goalby9,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.

Previous incarnations recognized by PGA Tour
YearPlayerScoreTo parWinner's
share ($)
1948 Cary Middlecoff274−102,000
1947 Dutch Harrison275−132,000
1929 Craig Wood289+11,600
1928 Bill Mehlhorn291

Multiple winners

Five men have won this tournament more than once through 2019.

Records

References
  1. "Gay Brewer birdies 73d, nips Goalby". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. November 8, 1965. p. 13.
  2. "2015–16 PGA Tour Player Handbook & Tournament Regulations" (PDF). October 5, 2015. Archived from the original (PDF) on April 12, 2016.
  3. "Shaw charges, bags Hawaiian Open victory". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). wire services. February 8, 1971. p. 3B.
  4. "Waialae Country Club – Course Tour". Archived from the original on December 13, 2013. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  5. Sony Open In Hawaii - Charity
  6. "Aoki's wedge shot steals golf tourney". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). UPI. February 14, 1983. p. 3B.
  7. "Aoki's eagle feathers PGA win". Spokesman-Review. (Spokane, Washington). Associated Press. February 14, 1983. p. 16.
  8. "Wie shoots 72 at PGA tourney". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 16, 2004. p. C5.
  9. "Hawaii teen makes history". Eugene Register-Guard. (Oregon). Associated Press. January 13, 2007. p. B2.
  10. "Finally The Teenager Makes a Cut". Golf Channel. Associated Press. January 12, 2007. Retrieved January 9, 2013.
  11. Sullivan, Jack (July 12, 1957). "Norman could be brightest Canadian on big-time golf tournament trail". Ottawa Citizen. (Canada). Canadian Press. p. 11.
  12. Kohli, Sonali; Ottey and, Michael A.W.; Chang, Heidi (January 13, 2018). "False alert of missile attack sparks panic in Hawaii". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  13. "'Terrifying': False ballistic missile threat alarm sends Hawaii into panic". Hawaii News Now. January 13, 2018. Retrieved January 13, 2018.
  14. "Golf Channel Cameramen Walk Amid Coverage of Sony Open". ESPN. Associated Press. January 14, 2018. Retrieved January 14, 2018.
  15. Porter, Kyle. "Justin Thomas sets PGA Tour scoring record in stunning showing at Sony Open". CBS Sports. Retrieved February 26, 2019.
  16. "Huston breaks Hogan's 53-year-old record". The Irish Times. February 16, 1998. Retrieved February 26, 2019.

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