The wide fairways on the Plantation Course at Kapalua should bring an advantage to at least one player in the season-opening Tournament of Champions.
U.S. Open champ Bryson DeChambeau has confirmed that he’ll be competing in the event that previously was for winner-only but has had it’s rules modified this go-round.
There are 28 players who have qualified for the 2021 event via their PGA Tour victories in the 2020 calendar year. But when play begins on January 7, an additional 17 players without a victory in the calendar year who made it to the Tour Championship have been made eligible for the event.
DeChambeau had two wins in 2020 as did PGA champion Collin Morikawa, who will be joining the action on Maui. Morikawa had two wins as did Jon Rahm, who has added his name to the entry list. Rahm is ranked No. 2 in the world and will be the highest-ranked player in the field as world’s No. 1 Dustin Johnson is on an extended vacation after winning the season’s final major — The Masters this past November.
Same for Rory McIlroy, who is taking some serious time off as well.
Houston Open Had Toughest Hole On PGA Tour For 2020:
The Golf Club of Houston made a short stint, hosting this year’s Houston Open before The Masters this past November. The 2021 tournament will move to Memorial Park. But it was the 18th hole at the 2020 stop that ended up as the toughest hole on the PGA Tour last season. It is a 488-yard par four that averaged 4.5 shots.
Here are the other top five toughest:
Number Two: The 201-yard 16th at Muirfield Village. The hole gave players fits during the Memorial Tournament hosted by Jack Nicklaus. It has a water hazard short of the green and the green itself sits at a difficult angle. It is long but narrow and difficult to hit. This one averaged 3.47 strokes. Nicklaus is in the process of re-doing Muirfield Village and will be making some changes to the green at 16.
Number Three: The 505-yard par four 12th at Torrey Pines South. Just the length by itself makes this one tough. It plays straight ahead toward a far point of Torrey Pines State Preserve overlooking the ocean. The length and uphill nature of the second shot means that power and accuracy are critical. Barely half the field found the 25-yard-wide fairway off the tee, and less than 34 percent hit the green in regulation despite its large size and the relatively calm conditions. Then there was the deep rough to punish errant tee shots. This hole averaged 4.43 shots.
Number Four: The 423-yard par four second hole at Waialae Country Club (Sony Open): This hole normally isn’t that tough but this past season the wind made it a brute. Four days of 20-30 mph winds with players hitting directly into them, took their toll. There’s a lake on the left that adds to the difficulty. The hole averaged 4.42 strokes.
Number Five: The 458-yard par four 18th at Bay Hill. Small landing area with really, really thick rough that basically dictates a punch-out if you miss the tee shot right. Water short of the green and the green sits at an angle that offers very little landing area and no room for error with the rocks short and a bunker long. It averaged 4.39 shots.
