Round with Tiger paying dividends

Kizzire’s tour education includes horrible tee shot on first hole

HONOLULU — Patton Kizzire took longer than expected to reach the PGA Tour, but he figures every step was a learning experience. That includes his first victory, which came at Mayakoba, his sixhole playoff win at the Sony Open last year and even one of the more embarrassing moments last year.

He played with Tiger Woods for the first time. Kizzire was so nervous on the opening tee shot at the Honda Classic that he hooked it into a palmetto bush and had to go back to the tee. He had rounds of 74-78 to miss the cut.

“Right there at the top,” he said Tuesday. “At the time, I don’t realize how good it is for me, but things that get me so excited I can hardly even perform and what makes me better. That was one of them. … As painful as they are, those help.”

He had been a fan of Woods for as long as he could remember, and appreciated that he was the biggest star in golf by some margin.

Watching on TV was one thing. Being announced to him on the tee was different.

“I’ll feel more comfortable next time I play with him,” Kizzire said. “I had a funny Instagram post after I played with him. It was like a first date with Tiger. I was pretty nervous, but soon I’ll be farting in front of him.”

KAPALUA CHANGES

The Plantation course at Kapalua might look the same when Xander Schauffele returns next year to defend his title. But it probably won’t play the same. Kapalua is shutting down the course next month for Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw to begin a restoration project that will include a new surface, new greens, bunkers, pretty much everything from tee-to-green.

“Every single item on the golf course will be touched,” said Alex Nakajima, general manager for golf and tennis at Kapalua.

Coore was delighted to hear the grass Kapalua chose is “Celebration Bermuda,” which he said was key to making the Plantation course play how it’s intended — fast. The last several years, the course has played soft. Previously, the 4-iron Gary Woodland hit into the 18th green would not have stopped rolling until it was on the green. Coore recalls telling one resort guest years ago to hit a club he normally hits 150 yards to the seventh green, even though he had 250 yards. It rolled to the green.

Mark Rolfing, a TV golf analyst who has lived at Kapalua from the start, summed it up best.

“For the average player, the course has become much harder,” he said. “For the best players in the world, the course has become much easier.”

Work is expected to be finished about two months before the Sentry Tournament of Champions starts.