Tradewinds wreak havoc on leaderboard

For three rounds, calm conditions at Waialae Country Club made for plenty of low scores in the Sony Open.

But the combination of the normal pressures of a Sunday round mixed with a unique style of wind sent scores soaring on the tournament's final day.

It presented a problem for many of the more inexperienced players on the course and gave a slight advantage to wily veterans like runner-up Rory Sabbatini and '02 Sony Open champion Jerry Kelly.

"You don't come to Waialae very often without it baring its teeth at you and it did today," said Sabbatini, who made his 10th consecutive appearance in the tournament. "It was a tough day out there."

Normally, the players face challenges from tradewinds that blow in from the northeast. Yesterday's winds were spraying balls all over the already-narrow Waialae Country Club course and were coming from a different direction.

"Today's wind was different than the normal tradewind," said Steve Stricker, who finished with an even-par 70 to place in a tie for fourth. "It was straight from the north."

"This wind is one I've never really seen on this golf course before and it made the course play extremely tough," added Sabbatini.

Sabbatini and Kelly were two of just eight players in the remaining field of 68 who shot under par in the final round. Of those eight, they were the only two to finish in the top 15.

They also were the only players to shoot in the red all four rounds. Their past experiences in Hawaii helped them to be well-equipped to make the necessary on-course adjustments.

"It changed a lot of your viewpoints and a lot of your angles that you were accustomed to," Sabbatini said. "So you definitely had to readjust your game plan out there."

Kelly has been a model of consistency in this tournament, finishing in the top 13 for the sixth time in seven years and in the top five for the fourth time.

The players avoided the wind hazards until yesterday, but the sudden, tricky conditions didn't surprise the Wisconsin native.

"This is the way it normally plays in Hawaii," Kelly said. "If we were facing these conditions all week, you might have seen some lower rounds."

Prior to the day, the leaderboard behind wire-to-wire champion K.J. Choi was filled with inexperienced golfers. None of the three players within five shots of the lead going in had played here more than twice.

First-time participant Tim Wilkinson, who entered the day in second place, had it the worst, finishing 11 shots behind Choi after firing an eight-over par 78.

"I don't think the rookies out here understand how much you have to manage your game on this course when it blows," Kelly said. "I'd hate to be a rookie and see this stuff on Sunday for the first time."