Roy, the executive producer for golf at NBC Sports, is bringing his crew to Hawaii for the opening two events on the PGA Tour schedule. The Tournament of Champions and Sony Open will be televised by Golf Channel (NBC and Golf Channel are under the Comcast umbrella).
It's the first time Roy has worked golf in Hawaii in 30 years, though he might not get the same unforgettable moment — Isao Aoki holing out a wedge for eagle on the 18th hole to win the Hawaiian Open at Waialae.
"I was in the truck with Aoki holed out," Roy said. "It's pretty exciting to come back on the 30th anniversary."
Roy said he plans to add "quite a few cameras" to better show the mountainous terrain on the Plantation Course at Kapalua for the season opener. NBC used to broadcast from Kapalua when the tournament was part of the silly season in November.
He also is pleased with the camera locations for the Sony Open, which sits along the ocean down from Waikiki Beach. Roy said there would be an 80-foot tower on the 16th fairway for visuals of the 16th green, with the ocean as a backdrop. Behind the green are four skinny palm trees in the shape of a "W" for Waialae, and Roy said he is moving the TV stand that was located at the base of that "W."
The formation of the trees is reminiscent of the "Big W," where the cash was buried in the 1963 movie, "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World."
___
CRUISING INTO ROOKIE SEASON: Patrick Reed is wrapping up an unforgettable year next week when he marries Justine Karain, who was with him each step this year as his caddie. Despite having no status, he played 12 times on the PGA Tour, making through Monday qualifying six times. That didn't get him anywhere, so he had to go through the final two stages of Q-school. And despite a slow start in the final stage, he went 68-67-68-67 the last four rounds to barely get his card.
Next up is his Dec. 21, followed by a cruise from Dec. 28 to Jan. 5.
Reed, however, wants to stay sharp for his rookie debut at the Sony Open in Honolulu, so he's bringing his clubs with him on the honeymoon.
"They're going to let me hit balls off a mat and into the ocean," he said.
___
DIVOTS: Fred Funk is not done with the kids. The 56-year-old Funk received a sponsor's exemption to play in the Sony Open next month. John Daly also received an exemption into the first full-field event of the 2013 season. ... Two weeks after Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand was co-medalist at Q-school on the LPGA Tour, her 17-year-old sister, Ariya, won the Ladies European Tour qualifying tournament by five shots. ... Arnold Palmer will be writing a regular column for Golf Channel.com. In his first column, the King applauded the USGA and R&A for its ban on anchoring clubs, such as the belly putter. ... The European Tour has launched a Japanese version of its website. It's the first non-European language of the website. ... The Safeway Classic on the LPGA Tour raised $1 million for charity this year, pushing its total to $17 million since 1972, with $14 million of that coming in the last 17 years.
___
STAT OF THE WEEK: Zach Johnson is the only American among the top 50 in the world who didn't play anywhere overseas the last two years except the British Open.
___
FINAL WORD: "I have never in my life been a schmoozer. That's just not my style. You earn it or you don't. They will or they won't. I just can't go that way." — Larry Nelson, on his chances of ever being a Ryder Cup captain.
golf
resize text 
Newspaper Subscriptions
eEdition
RSS
Newsletters