Sony Open

Mighty Mouse

Written: January 15, 2007

Anyone old enough to remember the cartoon character, Mighty Mouse? He was the comic-cross between Super Boy and Mickey Mouse. Major trivia question....anyone remember the song that accompanied Mighty Mouse's entrance? Give up? The opening line was, "Here I come to save the day." Well, enough baloney. "Mighty Mouse" has magically reappeared to "save the day". He is now in the form of Tadd Fujikawa. All of 5'1" and barely 16 years old, he has attained instant, legendary golfing status as the result of his finish at the Sony. He became the youngest player in 50 years to make a cut on the PGA Tour. The local, hometown Hawaii hero now joins the cast of other famous golfing prodigy questions like, "what was Justin Rose's claim to fame?" Answer: remember the 1998 British Open when he tied for fourth as an amateur, turned pro immediately thereafter and then didn't make a cut for years? And Ty Tryon? You remember Tryon, right? He was the kid who burst on the scene five years ago by becoming the youngest player at the time to make a 36-hole cut at a professional tournament. The one who in 2001 became the youngest player to ever earn a PGA Tour card. Five years later, Tryon has fallen off the map. Obviously, he no longer has his tour card and has been relegated to playing on mini tours. Seems he did win a NGA/Hooter's Winter event toward the end of 2006....his first victory as a pro.

But our new Mighty Mouse was THE story at the Sony. While the "regulars" battled it out down the stretch, everyone in the gallery seemed to be following "Mighty" who kept it together for a Tied-20th finish. Take a look at his card....he was 3 over after the first 4 holes and finished only two over on the last round. He woulda won $54,228 if he wasn't an amateur. Impressive! Historic! Only time, of course, will tell if he's "real". At the very least, we'll get a respite from Michelle Wie, who's still trying to make a men's cut. I can't help myself with one last attempt at humor: What if Michelle Wie married Tadd Fujikawa? Would their kid be short or tall? Would they name it, "Wie-Wee?" I'm Sorry.

The professional part of the Sony was almost an after-thought. Paul Goydos, he of choppy, dippy, half-finished follow-through-fame, went 5 under for the last 12 holes and got to watch Charles Howell, III greenside-gag a short chip on the 72nd hole to win. Howell's "gift" allowed Goydos, who's the quintessential definition of "journeyman" on the tour, to make more money yesterday than any other year he's played on tour. Now he's set with exemptions for the next two years. His bio's interesting and featured on the PGAtour.com website. Besides, he's from Long Beach, CA...not far from my old digs at Rancho. I can relate too.....I haven't learned to finish my swing either.

Each week there are a bunch of minor stories, a couple of which lept out at me. George McNeill, the Q-School winner, finished a solid T-13th; Doug LaBelle, a Nationwide grad fired 131 over the last 36 holes to tie for 4th, and Chad Campbell went backwards after round two. Chad, like all Texans, is supposed to be a great wind player. Maybe the winds are different in Hawaii. The trees certainly are. So much for form.

See a couple of attached photos of your fellow nose-pickers.

5 Weir's and 3 Verplank's this week at the Hope.