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Sony Open in Hawaii

Golf tournament in Hawaii, United States

Sony Open in Hawaii

Golf tournament in Hawaii, United States

FieldValue
nameSony Open in Hawaii
imageSony Open in Hawaii.svg
locationHonolulu, Hawaii, U.S.
establishment1965
courseWaialae Country Club
par70
yardage7044 yd
tourPGA Tour
orgFriends of Hawaii Charities
formatStroke play
purse
month_playedJanuary
aggregate253 Justin Thomas (2017)
to-par−28 John Huston (1998)
current_championUSA Chris Gotterup
mapHawaii
map_labelWaialae Country Club
map_captionLocation in Hawaii
map_reliefyes
map_size200
coordinates

| to-par = −28 John Huston (1998) 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.

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

History

Setting for the Sony Open: the Waialae Country Club on Oahu

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. 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.

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.

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.

In 1998, John Huston broke the then PGA Tour scoring record to par. He shot 28 under par, beating Ben Hogan's record originally set in 1945.

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. She missed the cut in all four appearances, 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. His achievement was highlighted by a 15 ft 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, 3 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. The alert was ultimately determined to have been sent in error. Before the final round, Golf Channel cameramen also staged a walkout.

Winners

YearWinnerScoreTo parMargin of
victoryRunner(s)-upPurse ($)Winner's
share ($)Ref.Sony Open in HawaiiUnited Airlines Hawaiian OpenUnited Hawaiian OpenHawaiian Open
2026USA Chris Gotterup264−162 strokesUSA Ryan Gerard9,100,0001,638,000
2025CAN Nick Taylor264−16PlayoffCOL Nico Echavarría8,700,0001,566,000
2024USA Grayson Murray263−17PlayoffKOR An Byeong-hun
USA Keegan Bradley8,300,0001,494,000
2023KOR Kim Si-woo262−181 strokeUSA Hayden Buckley7,900,0001,422,000
2022JPN Hideki Matsuyama257−23PlayoffUSA Russell Henley7,500,0001,350,000
2021USA Kevin Na259−211 strokeUSA Chris Kirk
CHI Joaquín Niemann6,600,0001,188,000
2020AUS Cameron Smith269−11PlayoffUSA Brendan Steele6,600,0001,188,000
2019USA Matt Kuchar258−224 strokesUSA Andrew Putnam6,400,0001,152,000
2018USA Patton Kizzire263−17PlayoffUSA James Hahn6,200,0001,116,000
2017USA Justin Thomas253−277 strokesENG Justin Rose6,000,0001,080,000
2016ARG Fabián Gómez260−20PlayoffUSA Brandt Snedeker5,800,0001,044,000
2015USA Jimmy Walker (2)257−239 strokesUSA Scott Piercy5,600,0001,008,000
2014USA Jimmy Walker263−171 strokeUSA Chris Kirk5,600,0001,008,000
2013USA Russell Henley256−243 strokesZAF Tim Clark5,600,0001,008,000
2012USA Johnson Wagner267−132 strokesUSA Harrison Frazar
USA Charles Howell III
USA Sean O'Hair
SWE Carl Pettersson5,500,000990,000
2011USA Mark Wilson264−162 strokesZAF Tim Clark
USA Steve Marino5,500,000990,000
2010USA Ryan Palmer265−151 strokeAUS Robert Allenby5,500,000990,000
2009USA Zach Johnson265−152 strokesAUS Adam Scott
USA David Toms5,400,000972,000
2008KOR K. J. Choi266−143 strokesZAF Rory Sabbatini5,300,000954,000
2007USA Paul Goydos266−141 strokeENG Luke Donald
USA Charles Howell III5,200,000936,000
2006USA David Toms261−195 strokesUSA Chad Campbell
ZAF Rory Sabbatini5,100,000918,000
2005FIJ Vijay Singh269−111 strokeZAF Ernie Els4,800,000864,000
2004ZAF Ernie Els (2)262−18PlayoffUSA Harrison Frazar4,800,000864,000
2003ZAF Ernie Els264−16PlayoffAUS Aaron Baddeley4,500,000810,000
2002USA Jerry Kelly266−141 strokeUSA John Cook4,000,000720,000
2001USA Brad Faxon260−204 strokesUSA Tom Lehman4,000,000720,000
2000USA Paul Azinger261−197 strokesAUS Stuart Appleby2,900,000522,000
1999USA Jeff Sluman271−92 strokesUSA Davis Love III
USA Jeff Maggert
USA Len Mattiace
USA Chris Perry
USA Tommy Tolles2,600,000468,000
1998USA John Huston260−287 strokesUSA Tom Watson1,800,000324,000
1997USA Paul Stankowski271−17PlayoffUSA Jim Furyk
USA Mike Reid1,200,000216,000
1996USA Jim Furyk277−11PlayoffUSA Brad Faxon1,200,000216,000
1995USA John Morse269−193 strokesUSA Tom Lehman
USA Duffy Waldorf1,200,000216,000
1994AUS Brett Ogle269−191 strokeUSA Davis Love III1,200,000216,000
1993USA Howard Twitty269−194 strokesUSA Joey Sindelar1,200,000216,000
1992USA John Cook265−232 strokesUSA Paul Azinger1,200,000216,000
1991USA Lanny Wadkins (2)270−184 strokesUSA John Cook1,100,000198,000
1990USA David Ishii279−91 strokeUSA Paul Azinger1,000,000180,000
1989USA Gene Sauers197−191 strokeUSA David Ogrin750,000135,000
1988USA Lanny Wadkins271−171 strokeCAN Richard Zokol600,000108,000
1987USA Corey Pavin (2)270−18PlayoffUSA Craig Stadler600,000108,000
1986USA Corey Pavin272−162 strokesUSA Paul Azinger500,00090,000
1985USA Mark O'Meara267−211 strokeUSA Craig Stadler500,00090,000
1984USA Jack Renner271−17PlayoffUSA Wayne Levi500,00090,000
1983JPN Isao Aoki268−201 strokeUSA Jack Renner325,00058,500
1982USA Wayne Levi277−111 strokeUSA Scott Simpson325,00058,500
1981USA Hale Irwin265−236 strokesUSA Don January325,00058,500
1980USA Andy Bean266−223 strokesUSA Lee Trevino325,00058,500
1979USA Hubert Green (2)267−213 strokesUSA Fuzzy Zoeller300,00054,000
1978USA Hubert Green274−14PlayoffUSA Billy Kratzert250,00050,000
1977USA Bruce Lietzke273−153 strokesUSA Don January
JPN Takashi Murakami240,00048,000
1976USA Ben Crenshaw270−184 strokesUSA Hale Irwin
USA Larry Nelson230,00046,000
1975USA Gary Groh274−141 strokeUSA Al Geiberger220,00044,000
1974USA Jack Nicklaus271−173 strokesUSA Eddie Pearce220,00044,000
1973USA John Schlee273−152 strokesUSA Orville Moody200,00040,000
1972USA Grier Jones274−14PlayoffUSA Bob Murphy200,00040,000
1971USA Tom Shaw273−151 strokeUSA Miller Barber200,00040,000
1970: No tournament
1969AUS Bruce Crampton274−144 strokesUSA Jack Nicklaus125,00025,000
1968USA Lee Trevino272−162 strokesUSA George Archer125,00025,000
1967USA Dudley Wysong284−4PlayoffUSA Billy Casper100,00020,000
1966USA Ted Makalena271−173 strokesUSA Billy Casper
USA Gay Brewer42,5008,500
1965USA Gay Brewer281−7PlayoffUSA Bob Goalby45,0009,000

Note: Green highlight indicates scoring records.

;Previous incarnations recognized by PGA Tour

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

Records

  • Tournament record: 253 (Justin Thomas, 2017)
  • 54-hole record: 188 (Justin Thomas, 2017)
  • 36-hole record: 123 (Justin Thomas, 2017)
  • 18-hole record: 59 (Justin Thomas, 2017)

References

Notes

References

  1. Porter, Kyle. "Justin Thomas sets PGA Tour scoring record in stunning showing at Sony Open". CBS Sports.
  2. (November 8, 1965). "Gay Brewer birdies 73d, nips Goalby". Spokesman-Review.
  3. (October 5, 2015). "2015–16 PGA Tour Player Handbook & Tournament Regulations".
  4. (February 8, 1971). "Shaw charges, bags Hawaiian Open victory". Eugene Register-Guard.
  5. "Waialae Country Club – Course Tour".
  6. "Sony Open In Hawaii - Charity".
  7. (February 14, 1983). "Aoki's wedge shot steals golf tourney". Eugene Register-Guard.
  8. (February 14, 1983). "Aoki's eagle feathers PGA win". Spokesman-Review.
  9. (February 16, 1998). "Huston breaks Hogan's 53-year-old record". The Irish Times.
  10. (January 16, 2004). "Wie shoots 72 at PGA tourney". Eugene Register-Guard.
  11. (January 13, 2007). "Hawaii teen makes history". Eugene Register-Guard.
  12. (January 12, 2007). "Finally The Teenager Makes a Cut". Golf Channel.
  13. Sullivan, Jack. (July 12, 1957). "Norman could be brightest Canadian on big-time golf tournament trail". Ottawa Citizen.
  14. (January 13, 2018). "False alert of missile attack sparks panic in Hawaii". Los Angeles Times.
  15. (January 13, 2018). "'Terrifying': False ballistic missile threat alarm sends Hawaii into panic".
  16. (January 14, 2018). "Golf Channel Cameramen Walk Amid Coverage of Sony Open". ESPN.
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