Tour News
Preview: Hyundai Tournament of Champions
The 2013 PGA Tour season gets started in its customary fashion with last year’s winners facing the enviable task of four rounds of golf in Hawaii at the beginning of January. Last year, Steve Stricker strung together four consecutive rounds in the 60’s and survived early final round blunders secure victory.
For golf fans, the opportunity to watch golf in primetime (in an enhanced format this year, no less) and to see top golfers competing at beautiful Kapaula is a welcome departure from snow and off-season speculation.
The Course
The Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii was designed by Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, and opened for play in 1991. It’s a par 73, measuring 7,411 yards. Historically, Kapalua’s Plantation Course is one of the easiest courses on the PGA Tour, with the winner often reaching 20-under-par.
Field Notes
The field is limited to tournament winners from 2012.
FedExCup champion Brandt Snedeker, Masters winner Bubba Watson and U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson are the most notable. Ian Poulter, Rickie Fowler, Keegan Bradley, Hunter Mahan, Dustin Johnson, Jason Dufner and last year’s winner, Steve Stricker, are also competing.
Sixteen players from the top 30 in last year’s final FedExCup standings are participating, the most since the advent of the FedExCup, and one-third of the field is under the age of 30.
Story lines
As the PGA Tour recently announced, “NBC’s award winning golf production team will be coming to Kapalua this year led by Producer Tommy Roy, co-producer Tom Randolph and Director Doug Grabert.” Additionally, there will be “Sunday Night Football Style” player introductions — no word on whether Faith Hill is recording a theme song for the event.
Young Players are Winning, and thus playing at Kapalua
Players younger than 30 claimed 19 victories on tour last year. Overall, 15 of the 37 winners on the PGA Tour last year were 30 or younger. Kyle Stanley, Bill Haas, Hunter Mahan, John Huh, Rickie Fowler, Dustin Johnson, Webb Simpson, Marc Leishman, Ted Potter, Jr. and Scott Stallings, Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore, Jonas Blixt, and Charlie Beljan all won last year and will be at Kapalua this week.
Short Game Wins at Kapalua
No surprise here. The PGA Tour’s “Tour Report” recently said that the key to victory at Kapalua is putting:
“Four of the last seven Hyundai Tournament of Champion winners have led the field for scrambling en route to their respective victories….Three of the last five winners have led the field for putts gained….Seven of the last nine winners have either ranked first or second for strokes gained-putting.”
Numbers of Note
72-hole record: 261, Ernie Els (2003). 18-hole record: 62, K.J. Choi (3rd round, 2003), Graeme McDowell (4th round, 2011).
500 FedEx Cup Points awarded. Purse: 5.7 million
Last Year
Steve Stricker shot a blistering second-round 63 to propel him to the front of the pack. Although he faltered over the succeeding two days, he was able to hold off Martin Laird of Scotland in the final round, finishing at 23-under for his first career win at the Tournament of Champions. The win was Stricker’s ninth victory after the age of 40.
T.V. Times
Friday-Saturday, 5:30-10 p.m. EST (Golf Channel)
Sunday, 3-6 p.m. (NBC), 6-10 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Monday, 4-8 p.m. (Golf Channel)
Click here for more discussion in the “Tour Talk” forum.
Note: This article originally stated that the Kapalua Plantation Course opened in 2001. The course opened in 1991, and was re-designed in 2001.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Valero Texas Open
GolfWRX is on site this week at the Valero Texas Open.
The event has been around since 1922, making it one of the oldest on the PGA Tour calendar. Over the years, it’s been held at a variety of courses across the Lone Star State, but it’s found its home at TPC San Antonio in recent years. Some of the biggest names in golf have taken home the title here, including Arnold Palmer, Ben Hogan, Lee Trevino, and Ben Crenshaw.
GolfWRX has its usual assortment of general galleries, WITBs and special pull-out albums. As always, we’ll continue to update the links below as more photos come in from TPC San Antonio.
General Albums
WITB Albums
- Ben Taylor – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Paul Barjon – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Joe Sullivan – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Wilson Furr – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Willman – SoTex PGA Section Champ – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Jimmy Stanger – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Rickie Fowler – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Harrison Endycott – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Vince Whaley – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Kevin Chappell – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Christian Bezuidenhout – WITB (mini) – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Scott Gutschewski – WITB – 2024 Valero Texas Open
Pullout Albums
- Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Ben Taylor with new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Swag cover – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Greyson Sigg’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Davis Riley’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Josh Teater’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hzrdus T1100 is back – – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Mark Hubbard testing ported Titleist irons – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Tyson Alexander testing new Titleist TRS 2 wood – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Hideki Matsuyama’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Valero Texas Open
- Cobra putters – 2024 Valero Texas Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
GolfWRX is on site in the Lone Star State this week for the Texas Children’s Houston Open.
General galleries from the putting green and range, WITBs — including Thorbjorn Olesen and Zac Blair — and several pull-out albums await.
As always, we’ll continue to update as more photos flow in. Check out links to all our photos from Houston below.
General Albums
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Monday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #1
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #2
- 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open – Tuesday #3
WITB Albums
- Thorbjorn Olesen – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ben Silverman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jesse Droemer – SoTX PGA Section POY – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- David Lipsky – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Martin Trainer – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Zac Blair – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Jacob Bridgeman – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Trace Crowe – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Daniel Berger – WITB(very mini) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Chesson Hadley – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Callum McNeill – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Rhein Gibson – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Patrick Fishburn – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Peter Malnati – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Raul Pereda – WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Gary Woodland WITB (New driver, iron shafts) – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Padraig Harrington WITB – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
Pullout Albums
- Tom Hoge’s custom Cameron – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Piretti putters – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Ping putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Kevin Dougherty’s custom Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Bettinardi putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Cameron putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Erik Barnes testing an all-black Axis1 putter – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
- Tony Finau’s new driver shaft – 2024 Texas Children’s Houston Open
See what GolfWRXers are saying in the forums.
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Tour Photo Galleries
Photos from the 2024 Players Championship
On the heels of Scottie Scheffler’s dominant victory at Bay Hill, the PGA Tour heads a little farther north in Florida to TPC Sawgrass this week for The Players Championship. And of course, GolfWRX is on site to get a look at what the players are playing.
We’ve already spotted a new Titleist mini driver this week, and there’s plenty more.
Check out our photos below!
Pullout Albums
- New Titleist 2 wood – 2024 The Players Championship
- Cam Young testing Titleist’s new 2-wood – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Hole Nos. 17 and 18 – 2024 THE PLAYERS Championship
- Toulon Small Batch Texas putter – 2024 The Players Championship
- Swag Golf custom headcovers – 2024 The Players Championship
- New Ping PLD staff bags – 2024 The Players Championship
- SuperStroke St. Patrick’s Day putter grip – 2024 The Players Championship
- Taylor Montgomery using PuttView X training goggles – 2024 The Players Championship
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Ferreus
Jan 3, 2013 at 9:50 pm
Minor correction, the course opened in 1991.