Mercedes Tournament

Start of golf season brings top names to Maui.
by: Joy Webster

The professional golf tour starts here on Maui. That’s right—the season opener is played at Kapalua every January, and who doesn’t want to play golf on Maui in January?

The 2005 Mercedes Championships boasts an elite field of pro golfers. Thirty-two champions from the 2004 season have qualified for The PGA TOUR’s season opening event. The qualified field led by Player of the Year Vijay Singh includes nine of the top 11 players in the World Golf Rankings. Among them are multiple winners Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Todd Hamilton, Adam Scott, Stewart Cink and Sergio Garcia, along with big-time veterans like Tiger Woods, John Daly and Fred Funk. They will compete for a share of the $5.3 million purse with the winner taking home $1.06 million, the traditional Tiffany Trophy and a 2006 Mercedes-Benz CLS500 sedan.

Kapalua’s Plantation Course will host the event from Jan. 3–9. ESPN will feature 13.5 hours of live prime-time coverage of the Mercedes Championships beginning Thursday, Jan. 6. Here’s the seven-day schedule (all events played at The Plantation Course):

Mon., Jan. 3 Professional practice round

Tue., Jan. 4 Professional practice round

Wed., Jan. 5 Pro-Am tournament

Thur., Jan. 6 First round

Fri., Jan. 7 Second round

Sat., Jan. 8 Third round

Sun., Jan. 9 Final round

“Giving Back–The Heart of the PGA Tour” is an important aspect of the Mercedes Championship. This year, as in the past, local nonprofit agencies earn money by helping park cars, running the silent auction, acting as ticket-takers and assisting with information and traffic control. Designated beneficiaries of the 2005 event are:

The Art School at Kapalua Quality programs for children and adults including fine art instruction, art and adventure camps for the kids, yoga, ceramics and much more.

Boy Scouts of America, Maui County Council Over 1,650 youth and 585 adults participate in Scouting each year in Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, Varsity Scouts, Ventures and the Learning for Life Program.

Friends of the Children’s Justice Center The last stop for the children of Maui County who are traumatized by sexual assault, neglect, physical abuse or emotional abuse.

Girl Scouts A dynamic, contemporary and informal educational program designed to meet the developmental needs of girls ages 4 to 17.

Hale Makua Maui’s premier provider of diverse health care services, dedicated to “Celebrating Life, Honoring the Journey.”

J. Walter Cameron Center Programs and administrative space to 14 nonprofit health and human service agencies helping more than 200 adults with disabilities daily.

Ka Lima O Maui Community rehabilitation program providing employment and the supports necessary to maximize the productivity and independence of the disabled and disadvantaged persons they serve.

Lahainaluna High School Foundation Recognizes the unique heritage of Lahainaluna High School and its great value to the life of a fast changing community and is committed to improving the total educational experience at Lahainaluna High School.

Maui Junior Golf To foster, promote and advance the interest and true spirit of golf among the children, up to and including age 18.

Maui Memorial Medical Center Foundation Raises funds to purchase medical equipment, capital improvement, special projects, support groups, charity care and continuing medical education.

Shuttle services to the tournament will be available from several West Maui departure points, Queen Ka‘ahumanu Center in Kahului, and the Harbor Shops at Ma‘alaea, starting Monday, Jan. 3.

For more information phone 669-2440

Posted by Maui Weekly at December 31, 2004 11:48 PM | TrackBack