It’s been almost two months since the PGA Tour last played an official full-field event, but that situation will be rectified this week when the Sony Open in Hawaii is contested starting Thursday in Honolulu.
Though the Tour’s “wraparound season” now starts in October, it certainly feels like the circuit is just getting rolling this month. After all, arguably golf’s three biggest-name players — Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson and Rory McIlroy — have yet to compete in an official event in the PGA Tour’s 2014-15 season.
Meanwhile, for many of the Tour players with strong Colorado ties, this year marks a season of transition.
Denver native Mark Hubbard, Fort Collins resident Sam Saunders and onetime Golden resident Andrew Svoboda are among those scheduled to tee it up in the Sony Open. Several local players in recent years have made some headlines at the tournament in Hawaii. Last year, Derek Tolan of Highlands Ranch Monday qualified for the event and made the cut, finishing 70th and making a PGA Tour check for the second time. Shane Bertsch of Parker finished 13th in the Sony Open in 2013, one of his top showings ever on the PGA Tour. And Denver’s Nick Mason Monday qualified for the Sony Open in 2012, marking one of three PGA Tour starts during his career.
With that as a backdrop, it’s worth noting how things are in the midst of changing for a number of local PGA Tour players:
David Duval — Though the Cherry Hills Village resident will continue to compete periodically on Tour, he recently became a studio analyst for the Golf Channel. The former No. 1-ranked player in the world last won a PGA Tour event in 2001 and last posted a top-10 finish in 2011. He’s missed the cut or withdrawn from his last nine events on Tour.
Kevin Stadler — The part-time Denver resident, who is scheduled to defend a PGA Tour title for the first time late this month at the Waste Management Phoenix Open, played in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions over the weekend despite a stress fracture in his left hand. But the Kent Denver High School graduate withdrew after two rounds in Maui — just as he had after two holes of the HSBC Champions in November. That leaves his status questionable for upcoming tournaments.
Mark Hubbard (pictured above) — Hubbard, a 25-year-old who grew up in Denver, is making his way around the PGA Tour for the first time as he’s a rookie after earning his card through his play on the Web.com circuit last year. The Sony Open will mark just the eighth PGA Tour event of his career. Hubbard, winner of both the CGA Junior Match Play and Junior Stroke Play in 2007, has posted four top-55 finishes in five PGA Tour events so far this season. And he’s already made his first hole-in-one on the PGA Tour, acing the seventh hole at Silverado in the second round of the Frys.com Open in October.
“It’s kind of been the goal since I was little,” Hubbard said of playing the PGA Tour. “… I played lots of sports but I always knew this is where I wanted to be, so it’s pretty cool” that it worked out.
Brandt Jobe — Jobe, a resident of Colorado for three decades (1970-99) who won six CGA championships and one Colorado Open, has four PGA Tour runner-up finishes to his credit. But he hasn’t played on the PGA Tour since 2013 — partly due to injuries and partly because of limited status. But he has 10 tournaments remaining on a medical extension he received from the Tour, and he’ll need to earn $712,345 to regain exempt status. But looking ahead, Jobe will turn 50 on Aug. 1 and become eligible for the Champions Tour.
Sam Saunders — The Fort Collins resident isn’t technically a PGA Tour rookie, but in essence he is. Arnold Palmer’s grandson had only 22 PGA Tour starts before this season (over the course of six years), with the eight he had in 2011 his high. Barring the unforeseen, he’ll hit double digits for a single season for the first time in 2014-15 after earning a Tour spot thanks to his performance on the Web.com circuit in 2014.
Martin Laird — In 2013-14, the former Colorado State University golfer finished outside the top 125 on the final PGA Tour money list for the first time since 2007. But Laird, who recently turned 32, is off to a good start in 2014-15, having placed third in his season opener at the Frys.com Open in October. Overall, Laird has three Tour victories to his credit.
Jonathan Kaye — The Denver native and part-time Boulder resident, who’s won twice on the PGA Tour, hasn’t played in a PGA Tour event since 2011. But the former Colorado Open champion competed in three Web.com events last year and indicated he might play more regularly on that circuit in 2015.
