KAILUA-KONA — Heavy winds blew away the vog, producing one of the more beautiful days of the young year along the north Kona coast on Saturday.
Unfortunately, the sustained 15-25 mph wind — which gusted up to 45 mph at some points in the afternoon — also blew away the golfers at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai, canceling the final round and making the tournament a 36-hole affair.
With the shortened event, second round leader and reigning PGA Tour Champions Player of the Year Bernhard Langer took home his third Makau trophy, hoisting it on the 18th green a little earlier in the day than anticipated. The Hall of Fame German also won on the Big Island in 2009 and 14’.
“Obviously it’s not the way I wanted to win. I was ready to compete and battle it out, but I don’t make the rules,” Langer said. “This was really the right decision. I heard stories where guys were four-putting from five feet, or they would putt to the hole and the ball would come back towards their feet.”
Langer has simply dominated at Hualalai, never having shot over par in 29 rounds. That includes 2015, when he shot quintuple-bogey on a par 5.
“It was a magical week,” Langer said. “Starting the year off with another win and continuing basically where I left off last year is pretty amazing.”
Five golfers finished their rounds, but more than half of the 47 golfers making up the field would have had to finish to force the completion of the final round. Before play was halted, the scoring average was a whopping 79.027, compared to 69.096 in the combined two rounds prior.
Play was suspended at 1:20 p.m., but players were told to hold their positions. By 1:40 p.m. the golfers had come in, and about 30 minutes later the tourney was called after a meeting between various officials.
“The winds kept getting stronger and the golf course became unplayable. Balls were blowing off the green, you just couldn’t play,” said Brian Clarr, the PGA Tour Champions vice president of rules and competition. “The forecast is as bad or worse tomorrow, so taking everything into consideration — the golf course, flights and the fact that it’s just not getting better — we came to the tough decision that it is a 36-hole tournament.”
Early ending
Langer’s tournament-winning birdie came in the second round, completing a clutch run on the back nine that propelled him to the top of the field. He reeled off birdies on four of the final five holes, including a 7-foot putt on No. 18 to move to 15-under-par for a total of 129 and sole possession of first place.
Fred Couples — who was playing two groups ahead of Langer — bogeyed 18 to fall to 14-under, eventually cementing him in second place. It was his third second place finish at Hualalai (2010, ‘14).
Couples and Langer were paired up in the final grouping, but only managed to get on the green at hole No. 1 before the round was canceled.
One of the only players enjoying the breeze in the final round was Paul Goydos. The one-time 59 shooter was 3-under through 13 holes. Only three other players were under par at the time play was stopped.
3’s a company
Despite the shortened workday, the win was still special for a variety of reason for Langer. Most of those revolved around the number three.
It was his third win at the event and 30th overall on the PGA Tour Champions, moving him into second place on the career list behind Hale Irwin, who has 45 wins on the senior circuit. It also came on his 33rd anniversary to his wife, Vikki.
“It’s very special because it’s maybe my favorite tournament,” Langer said. “Then to have won on the day when we celebrate our 33rd anniversary, and I have my kids and my wife with me — that doesn’t happen very often. It’s quite emotional for me.”
To play off the three theme just a bit more, Langer only hit three shots on the first hole before the round was eventually called off. He also gets to take back with him a healthy $300,000 winnings check, giving him the early lead in the Charles Schwab Cup race.