News

Not All Sun and Fun at Sony Open in Hawaii

Published

15 years ago

Jan 12, 2011

By Scott MacLeod, via www.flagstick.com

As the rains hammered down in Honolulu the question today wasn’t “who’ll be the winner of the first full field event on the 2011 PGA Tour?” but “who has new and untested raingear in the bag?”

With luck, however, this 72-hole tournament will reach its full conclusion by Sunday evening and every question you could possibly have about the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii will be answered. Sadly, based on the forecast, rain will be a factor every single day.

With the 32-man winners-only Hyundai Tournament of Champions in the rear view mirror the PGA Tour season begins in earnest Thursday and that means different things for every player. For many veterans it is time to shake off the rust from what could be a several month break from competition while the thirty-five rookies in the field this week will make their tentative first tension-filled steps into the biggest arena in their sport.

With much of the worldwide golf audience dealing with winter weather and thirsting to see live golf action from one of the most beautiful places on earth, a lot of eyes and expectations will be on the pros playing this week.

Defending champion Ryan Palmer had a whirlwind season last year and is eager is to be back at the Seth Raynor designed Waialaie Country Club that was so favorable to him in 2010. As he told me last summer at the RBC Canadian Open on a casual evening away from the course. “It was great to win in Hawaii. I’m looking forward to going back there as a past champion for as long as I can.”

While Palmer is chasing a repeat victory, he will have to contend with a strong field of other proven winners.

Among those will be last year’s runner-up, Robert Allenby, two-time champion Ernie Els, and perennial contender Charles Howell III. Add to that list more great ball-strikers like Steve Stricker, Stuart Appleby, Matt Kuchar, Jim Furyk and Tim Clark.

The ability to hit the ball solidly is vital in the windswept holes of Waialaie where missed greens serve up trying shots from the 2.5” Bermuda rough. Palmer was third in greens in regulation in 2010, a statistic that set-up his winning score of 15 under par.

The rookies will be running theme this week during the late-day broadcast so we can all expect to learn a few things about these emerging players. Those that are best to keep firmly in sight will be those who have at least some Nationwide or PGA Tour experience or success at those levels. 2010 Nationwide Tour money list leader Jamie Lovemark easily comes to mind. My other picks to play well from the rookie class are Daniel Summerhays and Bobby Gates who proved their abilities last year on the Nationwide Tour. You can expect that some lesser-known player will pop up on the leaderboard at some point – resulting in a focus to a degree that they have never even imagined.

My only unsolicited (and likely unwanted) bit of advice for both veterans and rookies this week? It’s the first full-field event of the year; there really is no pressure (I’m lying). More than anything; hit fairways and try to stay dry…

Fun fact: The First PGA Tour Hawaiian Open Golf Tournament was held in the fall of 1965. Hawaiian Opens (under various sponsorships) have been held at Waialae since 1928.

Event Summary –

Dates: January 10-16, 2011

Where: Waialae Country Club; Honolulu, HI

Par/Yards: 35-35—70/7,044

Field: 144 (first full-field event of the season)

Format: 72-hole stroke play

Defending Champion: Ryan Palmer

Purse: $5,500,000; Winner’s Share: $990,000

This tournament report provided to GolfWRX.com by Canada's Flagstick Golf Magazine (www.flagstick.com)

News

GolfWRX’s Father’s Day Gift Guide (2026)

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

A reminder from your friends at GolfWRX: Father’s Day is June 21. And as we do every year, we’re rounding up the best gifts for dad.

As we say every year, there’s no better golf-related Father’s Day gift than a round of golf with pops. Be it a country club or your favorite muni, take the time to get together to play 18 if you can.

Let’s get to the gifts.

Ghost Golf Qualifier Diamond Polo

We like the new polos that Ghost is offering, as the fabric and fit are so good. These new Qualifier Collection polos breathe well, are lightweight, stretch with your swing, and of course look great. You can wear them on the course, in the office, or just out at a casual event and they will fit right in.

Buy here.

STR8-Strip Grip Tape Remover

If your dad is an equipment aficionado and tinkers with his clubs, this tool works wonders. Removing grip tape has never been easier, just put a little head on the tape and the STR8-Strip peals it right off the shaft without any damage.

Buy here.

Why Golf: Putting Thing

When it comes to practice, it is good to have a purpose. This “Putting Thing” sure does it. We know from personal experience how challenging it can be and how rewarding it is on the practice green. This also provides some competition for your kiddo to see who will unload the dishwasher or do the next chore around the house.

Buy here.

OluKai Lae‘ahi Men’s Breathable Slip-On Shoes

Riding to and from the course in style and comfort is always a good thing. If you’re in a hurry, it’s a nice feature to slide into your shoes and get to the tee time. For the post-game shoe, at your locker or while putting your clubs away in the car. Nice to slide into a shoe that looks good anywhere. Pair that with meeting the family for dinner, no need to change!

Buy here.

Therabody Theragun Relief

A little wellness goes a long way. Keeping loose is a good way to go when it comes to the weekend game or treatment during the week. If there is a little ache or pain, the Theragun is there to help out. Help loosen up the back for a pre-game warm-up or cool-down.

Buy here.

World Cup golf apparel

Something for the soccer dads. Embrace the World Cup fever this summer on the course with custom gear to support the nation of your choice.

Buy here.

FootJoy Pro SL spikeless golf shoes

Give the old man a break and save his feet with the Footjoy Pro SL Men’s Spikeless Golf Shoes for some added comfort on the course.

Buy here.

Bushnell Wingman 2 GPS speaker

Combine all the hits as well as some game improvement with the Wingman 2 Golf GPS Speaker by getting audible distance readings from 38,000+ courses worldwide through the Wingman 2 remote or speaker.

Buy here.

Personalized Titleist Pro V1 golf balls

The No. 1 ball in golf is a safe bet, and the Pro V1 fits the largest chunk of the bell curve if you don’t know what ball pops plays. Add personalization for a, well, personal touch!

Buy here.

GolfWRX may earn a commission for purchases made through links on this page, at no extra cost to you.

Tour Photo Galleries

Photos from the 2026 OccuNet Classic

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

With the PGA Tour across the border in Canada this week, GolfWRX Tour Photographer Greg Moore stayed stateside and headed to the OccuNet Classic presented by Amarillo National Bank in Amarillo, Texas.

It’s always interesting to see what the guys are playing on the KFT, and this week certainly hasn’t disappointed so far, with some incredible wedge stamping on display.

Check out links to all our albums below.

General Albums

2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT) – Monday #1

WITB Albums

Pullout Albums

Luke Potter’s custom Cameron putter – 2026 OccuNet Classic (KFT)

News

From the GolfWRX Classifieds: Scotty Cameron GOLO 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition

Published

2 days ago

Jun 9, 2026

Will Schube

At GolfWRX, we are a community of like-minded individuals who all experience and express our enjoyment of the game in many ways.

It’s that sense of community that drives day-to-day interactions in the forums on topics that range from best driver to what marker you use to mark your ball. It even allows us to share another thing we all love – buying and selling equipment.

Currently, in our GolfWRX buy/sell/trade (BST) forum, @HuskerFlyer is sharing a Scotty Cameron GOLO with a BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition shaft. While the putter is certainly enviable, the Augusta-inspired shaft is equally noteworthy.

From the listing:

Scotty Cameron Golo 6 with BGT Stability Tour2 2022 M Edition Scotty Headcover 34″ $375

To check out the full listing in our BST forum, head through the link. If you are curious about the rules to participate in the BST Forum, you can learn more here: GolfWRX BST Rules.