Work or Vacation?
The PGA TOUR pros approached the first Hawaiian Open more as a vacation
Well, that was an interesting back nine at The Plantation Course at Kapalua for the Sentry Tournament of Champions. After going 67 holes without a bogey, Collin Morikawa bogeyed three holes in a row on the back nine. That allowed Jon Rahm to run him down for the victory. With the new designated status for the tournament, Rahm took home $2.7 million. Not a bad way to start off the year.
The betting odds for the two players went on a roller coaster as Rahm was an +8000 underdog to Morikawa who was a -20,000 favorite. We’re going to have our own fun with picking a winner this week. Scroll down to play.
This week the TOUR is in Honolulu for the Sony Open in Hawaii. This tournament got its start as the Hawaiian Open in 1965 and has also been known as the United Hawaiian Open and the United Airlines Hawaiian Open before Sony took over the sponsorship in 1999.
Tour Backspin Pick The Winner is for entertainment value only. Odds provided by Fanduel Sports Book.
We’re going back to the first Hawaiian Open in 1965 when some players were more concerned about their tans or whether they’d be able to catch a wave than they were about their golf game. Scroll down to learn more.
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Congratulations to Bruce Effisimo for correctly answering last week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT? The featured hole was #2 on the Champions Course at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, CA. Bruce was the only correct answer and sits alone on the new 2023 leader board. Scroll down for your chance to win in this week’s WHAT HOLE IS IT?
We’re playing Hawaiian Open Trivia this week in the Tour Backspin Quiz. Scroll down to play.
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Gay Brewer Enjoys Some Aloha Time While Winning a Playoff
It’s Friday, November 5th, 1965, and it’s another lovely day near the beach at Honolulu’s Waialae Country Club in the shadow of Diamond Head. The second round of the first ever PGA TOUR event in Hawaii, the Hawaiian Open, has just completed and George Archer, from San Francisco holds the lead after adding a 68 to his first-round score of 70. He holds a one-stroke lead over Al Geiberger and a two-stroke lead over Frank Beard, the first-round leader.
While Archer was excited to hold the lead, he was disappointed that he wouldn’t be able to catch the waves on the beach on his surfboard.
“I told my wife I’d play two rounds—I’d miss the cut—and then we would hit the surfboards,” Archer explained after his round. “I haven’t been on a surfboard all week. Luckily, the surf hasn’t been up this week.”
“We just sat on the beach and got tan.”
Many of the pros shared Archer’s vacation-like attitude at the Hawaiian Open. Many felt it was a well-deserved week of relaxation near the end of the tour schedule. Gay Brewer came to the islands 10 days in advance of the $60,000 Hawaiian Open with the intention of getting some rest and winding down.
“I forgot all about golf,” he admitted. “In fact, we got so lazy we didn’t even make the trips we planned to the other islands. We just sat on the beach and got tan. I played golf only one day.”
Archer may have been dreaming of catching a big wave instead of his golf as he started the third round with a double bogey six on the first hole. But he fought back to record an even par 72 and retained a one stroke lead over Al Geiberger who also matched par for the round. Al Besselink shot a 70 and was tied with Geiberger at 211. Bob Goalby sat at 212 and Gay Brewer shot a 67 that moved him up the leader board to 213, three shots off Archer’s lead.
In Sunday’s final round, four players came down the stretch with a chance to win, Beard, Brewer, Archer and Bob Goalby. Frank Beard was the first to finish shooting a 67 to post a four-round total of 282. Archer could do no better than an even par 72 for a 282 total.
“I have a feeling I’m going to be around for the presentation ceremonies.”
Earlier in the day, Brewer changed his 5 pm flight reservation to return to Dallas.
“I have a feeling I’m going to be around for the presentation ceremonies,” he told PGA official Jack Tuthill.
That feeling of confidence did not last.
“When I bogeyed the second hole, I knew I was in trouble. Then when I missed a putt and took bogey on the 15th hole, I thought I was through,” Brewer later told reporters.
But after saving a par by getting up-and-down from a bunker on 16 and then ramming in a 12-foot birdie putt at the 17th, he arrived at the 18th tee one shot behind his playing partner, Bob Goalby.
On the par-5 finishing hole, Brewer hit two magnificent wood shots to reach the back of the green with a long eagle putt. Goalby chipped up his third shot to three feet and then watched Brewer lag his putt to 18 inches. Goalby then missed his short birdie putt and Goalby tapped in his putt and the two were tied—the first time in the tournament that Goalby had a share of the lead.
The two headed off to the first hole to begin their sudden death playoff. Brewer hit a fantastic drive while Goalby’s drive hit a coconut palm tree with a sickening thud. He then chipped out from the trees, hit his third shot short of the green and finally, put his fourth shot on the green.
“We’ll be back,” she said. “Next year, I learn the hula.”
Brewer hit a 9-iron approach shot that ended up three feet from the cup. He tapped in the short birdie putt for the victory that was worth $9,000. Not bad money for a week that was more like a vacation than a golf tournament.
“We hate to leave,” Brewer said and then pointed to his wife, Carol Lee, who had gone all-in native with her bare feet and yellow jams.
“We’ll be back,” she said. “Next year, I learn the hula.”
Sounds like vacation planning had already begun.
Frank Beard was on his honeymoon at the 1965 Hawaiian Open. Scroll down to learn more in this week’s Bonus Story.
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Larry Baush
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Bonus Story
Frank Beard was on a honeymoon at the 1965 Hawaiian Open. He had married his wife, Pat, the previous Saturday in New Orleans. He brought his new wife, who the papers described as “a 21-year-old blonde with a sheepdog haircut” with him to the islands.
“I want to buy a bikini,” she told reporters, “but Frank won’t let me. If he wins the tournament, maybe he’ll let me get one. Otherwise, I’ll just buy some muu-moos.”
Frank was introduced to Pat by Tony and Betty Lema. The Lemas lived in the same apartment complex in Dallas that Pat did and thought the two would make a good couple.
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Tour Backspin Quiz |Hawaiian Open Trivia
Who lost the Hawaiian Open to Isao Aoki’s walk-off eagle only to come back the next year to win the event?
Answer below
What is Hip?
Fashions for the traveling golfer.
With a cigarette, no less.
They’re so excited for their golf trip that they showed up at the airport with their golf shoes on.
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Tour Backspin Quiz Answer:
Jack Renner lost the 1983 Hawaiian Open to Isao Aoki who holed out with a wedge from the rough for a walk-off eagle. Renner came back the next year to win the Hawaiian Open in a playoff against Wayne Levi.
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