Tiger Woods made the cut after shooting a 2-over 73 on Friday at the Genesis Invitational but he’s got work to do if he wants to get back into contention.
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The PGA TOUR shifts from Maui to Oahu this week, and while the state may be the same, the island change calls for a dramatically different style of golf. Gone are the sweeping elevation changes of Kapalua and in comes the flatter, European and Hamptons-inspired Waialae Country Club, home of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Waialae pre-dates Hawaiian statehood, was featured in a popular 1960s comedy flick, and has been part of the PGA TOUR schedule since 1965. That’s a lot of tournament film to study, but Waialae still packs a few new punches every January. 1. It pays tribute to legendary courses When golf course architect Seth Raynor and his then-associate Charles Banks crafted Waialae in the early part of the 20th century, they looked to some of the famous courses of the day for inspiration. Raynor designed the first hole, now a 488-yard par 4, with the “Road Hole” from the Old Course at St Andrews in mind. Like the 17th hole in Scotland, the first hole in Hawaii demands an approach shot into a shallow green with a deep bunker guarding in front. No. 7 at Waialae is a sibling of No. 6 at National Golf Links of America in Southampton, New York, one of the trademark courses of Charles B. Macdonald, Raynor’s mentor. Both par 3s play short – the back tees at National Golf Links stretch to 141 yards and the Sony Open hole reaches 162 yards – but both provide a layer of bunker troubles in front of a wide green. Raynor originally surrounded the entire green with sand as a further tribute to Macdonald, but today it’s only in the front. Waialae’s par-3 17th hole employs a “redan-style” green that was recently restored to Raynor’s original vision with a large bunker on the left and four smaller bunkers to the right of the green. Macdonald and Raynor were important figures in establishing the redan concept in the U.S., bringing it over from its origin at North Berwick Golf Club in Scotland. The par-3 fourth hole at Waialae, with its 55-yard green including a deep swale running across the middle, is said to take its shape from the Biarritz Golf Club in France. Unfortunately for Raynor, he never saw the full fruit of his labors, as he passed away in January 1926, one year before Waialae officially opened. 2. The front and back nines are flipped Hawaiian golf is primetime golf in the contiguous United States. And to make sure fans see the most picturesque views of Oahu as they watch the late-night action, the Sony Open swaps the front and back nine for tournament play. There are two notable reasons for the change. First of all, aesthetics: The back nine holes (front nine for members) best highlight the beauty of the Hawaiian sun setting in the west. Second, this affords the opportunity to use the par-5 dogleg left 18th hole (ninth hole for members) as a dramatic finishing hole. While the 18th only played 546 yards in 2021, a series of bunkers at the dogleg require a precise tee shot to set up a feasible second shot into the green. Last year, Hideki Matsuyama made up a five-shot deficit on the back nine and then won the Sony Open in Hawaii in a playoff with one of the best shots he never saw, a 3-wood into the sun on 18 to 3 feet for an eagle to beat Russell Henley. In 1983, Isao Aoki holed out for eagle from 128 yards to become the first Japanese player to win on the PGA TOUR. No matter what the contenders do on 18, it’s almost always entertaining. 3. It’s a mad, mad ‘W’ The most iconic feature of Waialae is the “W” formed by four coconut trees behind the 16th green. This formation is on purpose, and while it has only been around since 2010, its history goes back more than 50 years. In 1963 – two years before the debut of the Sony Open – Stanley Kramer’s “It’s a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World” debuted in theaters, and it featured one of Hollywood’s all-time star-studded casts with Spencer Tracy, Milton Berle and Sid Caesar, among others. The film’s plot revolved around a group of individuals racing to uncover $350,000 hidden under a W-shaped tree in the fictional California city of Santa Rosita. Waialae member Ethan Abbott estimated he was around 9 or 10 years old when he originally saw the movie. His boyish enthusiasm about the film never left him, and as an adult in the 2000s, he started lobbying the course to create its own W. After some initial pushback, Waialae relocated four trees from the hundreds on the course, planting them behind the No. 7 green for members. The entire alteration cost $3,500 and came from a gift already earmarked for a project on the course. While the trees are tricked into thinking they are growing straight, they now form one of golf’s iconic images, with the “W” appearing on Waialae merchandise and earning the club a series of national landscape awards. Weddings have even become common at the “W,” a prime photo opp spot for golf enthusiasts. But did Abbott hide any cash under the trees? That remains unknown. 4. Justin Thomas has the course record In 2017, Justin Thomas arrived at Waialae directly from a victory at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. He backed that up with an opening-round 59 at Oahu, a new course record, surpassing Davis Love III’s 60 in 1994. Thomas started on the back and book-ended his round with eagles on No. 10 and No. 9. At age 23, Thomas became the youngest player to ever shoot a sub-60 round. Along with the 18-hole record, Thomas proceeded to set the 36-hole, 54-hole and tournament records at the Sony Open, finishing at 27-under 253 to beat Justin Rose by seven strokes. The Sony Open was Thomas’ third of five wins en route to his 2016-17 FedExCup title. 5. It’s a flat track The Sentry Tournament of Champions field climbs as high as 510 feet above sea level at the Plantation Course at Kapalua. At Waialae, players can leave their hiking boots back at the hotel. The Oahu course has an elevation change of roughly 10 feet. While Waialae includes features unique to Hawaii – coconut, monkey pod and kiawe trees, along with Pacific Ocean views – water hazards are minimal and 83 bunkers span the grounds. Breezes can play a factor, but after the mountains and unexpected winds of Kapalua, Waialae presents a more subdued atmosphere.
WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. — Rookie Xander Schauffele made a 3-foot birdie putt on the final hole Sunday to win The Greenbrier Classic by a stroke over Robert Streb for his first PGA TOUR victory. Schauffele closed with a 3-under 67 and finished at 14-under 266 to cap a daylong duel with Streb and third-round leader Sebastian Munoz. Streb shot 69. Munoz had a 72 to tie for third with Jamie Lovemark at 12 under. Lovemark shot 69. After Schauffele’s birdie, Streb found the left fringe on the 161-yard 18th and his chip that would have forced a playoff came up short. Munoz needed to ace the 18th to tie it, but settled for par. At age 53, Davis Love III fell short in his bid to become the oldest winner in tour history. He shot 75 and tied for 29th at 5 under.
The Children's Hospital of Georgia is starting a new program focused on pediatric behavioral health care, launching with the help of a $50,000 donation from the Kisner Foundation. The organization presented the gift to the Children's Hospital of Georgia on Monday, Dec. 7. The Kisner Foundation's contribution will help start the Children's Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness program, which will address social, emotional, behavioral, and developmental concerns in children and adolescents. This program will provide an interdisciplinary approach to Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness that will include collaboration with the Medical College of Georgia Department of Psychiatry and Health Behavior and support from the existing Emily S. Baumann Children and Adolescent Psychotherapy Fund. "Augusta University Health and the Children's Hospital of Georgia are grateful for this partnership with the Kisner Foundation," said Katrina Keefer, chief executive officer for the Augusta University Health System and executive vice president for health affairs at Augusta University. "Their generous donation will jumpstart the development of the Children's Center for Pediatric Behavioral Health and Wellness as we seek to provide the most advanced and comprehensive mental health assessment and treatment options for infants, children and adolescents - and all children who call Georgia home." Dr. Valera Hudson, pediatrician-in-chief at Children's and chair of the Department of Pediatrics at the Medical College of Georgia at Augusta University, shared similar sentiments. "We diagnose and treat children and adolescents with a variety of problems such as depression, anxiety, attention deficits, and other behavioral problems," said Hudson. "As we see indicators of growing mental health struggles in children, the ongoing support from the Kisner Foundation will help us expand these service offerings within our inpatient and outpatient settings to improve the mental and emotional health of children and adolescents across Georgia." Kisner Foundation is a nonprofit organization created by Aiken, South Carolina, native and PGA Tour golfer Kevin Kisner and his wife, Brittany. The Foundation is committed to providing charitable funding through their three main pillars: Education, Health, and Sports. Their vision is that all children have the opportunities and resources to develop into responsible adults with a bright future. “Brittany and I are honored for our foundation to partner with Children's and support the development of this much needed behavioral health and wellness clinic," said Kevin Kisner. "We know that this program will fill a major void in our area and provide comprehensive care and resources to children with developmental, emotional and behavioral concerns.” “So many families and children in our area have faced extremely long wait times for referrals due to a shortage of mental health providers and developmental pediatricians," Brittany Kisner added. "Families are frustrated and children are falling through the cracks without receiving any services. This integrative behavioral health clinic will provide evaluation and establish a treatment plan and a path forward for these children.” Since 2016, the Kisner Foundation has awarded over $400,000 in grants to nonprofit organizations across the Augusta area. Learn more about the Kisner Foundation. If you would like to support the CHOG Fund for Pediatric Behavioral Health or any initiative at the Children's Hospital of Georgia, please contact Philanthropy & Alumni Engagement at (706) 721-4001.
