Kapalua Is Pretty Much A Disaster But All Hope Is Not Lost: Ian Poulter And Johnny Miller Are Bickering Again!

Another day at Kapalua meant more freakishly severe weather and aborting another round, the second time this week.

Doug Ferguson's game story recounts the various unfortunate lows in what is quickly going down as one of the more unfortunate freak weather events to ever hit the PGA Tour.

Matt Kuchar was mildly critical of Sunday's attempt to even play, reports Bailey Mosier.

"After we went through Friday and then having Saturday blown out, as well, we were kind of expecting that today," Matt Kuchar said.

"With the wind being as strong as it was this morning ... I think most guys pretty much could have told you what was going to happen in the locker room."

Sunday winds sustained 25-35 mph and PGA Tour officials registered gusts up to 48 mph.
"I'm not sure if that was the point to show that we're making every effort to play," Kuchar said.

The tour's Andy Padzur was questioned about the call and also asked about Golf Channel's obligation to next week's sponsor.

Q. Have you guys discussed with the Golf Channel, is there any issues with getting equipment to Oahu or the Sony broadcast on Thursday?

ANDY PAZDER: There is, yeah. The equipment that's here has to get barged over to Oahu, get set up and so forth. We have had conversations with Golf Channel, moving on into a Tuesday finish here, Golf Channel is indicating that they feel reasonably comfortable that they can produce or provide a show on Thursday from Sony.

Obviously we are sensitive to that. But right now our most important focus is on the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and that's what our decisions are being based upon, which is getting 54 holes in.

Q. If weather does not cooperate tomorrow, is it 36 on Tuesday or at what point do you call it all off?

ANDY PAZDER: Can we save that question for tomorrow? (Laughter).

Butch Harmon even predicted some WD's to protect swings. Ryan Lavner reports.

Golf Channel televises from 4-11 ET Monday. No word yet on Tuesday's plan.

But it's not all bad news!

Alex Miceli reports on the row redux between Ian Poulter and NBC's Johnny Miller after Mr. 63 essentially called the Ryder Cup hero a drama queen.

Poulter took a lot of time over his 20-foot birdie putt, just above the hole, wind whipping his pants as he looked it over. The Europeans' Ryder Cup hero continued to step in and out of his stance, refusing to ground his putter until finally hitting the ball.

Johnny Miller, the often-controversial color analyst for NBC Sports' golf coverage, commented about Poulter’s unwillingness to putt.

“You just can‘t stay over the putt that long. You've got to get in there, line it up and hit it,” Miller said initially about Poulter’s inaction. “He surely doesn’t have the Tom Watson attitude so far. He’s afraid he’s going to hurt himself, and that would probably set the game back 20 years.”

Poulter fired back on Twitter after hearing about Johnny's criticism:

“Johnny miller why don't you come interview me live and say that stuff straight to my face,” Poulter tweeted after the round. “Was you watching a different channel.”

Later in the evening, Poulter added another tweet about the commentary.

"Just watched coverage on @GolfChannel. Really sorry I took way to long on 11th.... Just trying to win a golf tournament. Trying to do my job"

The offending moment can be seen in this Golf Channel Golf Central highlight package. One minute in you get some great highlights of the wacky wind-induced activity, including Poulter considering his options. This package also includes Tim Rosaforte talking to the tour's Slugger White about Monday's forecast, which is expected to be have winds gusting 5 mph less than they did Sunday.

You can relive Johnny and Ian's past bickering (mostly Ian tweeting) here, here and here.

They also appeared to have a truce, but that turned out to be a Brad Faxon prank. A darn good one, if I may say so.

Trouble In Paradise: Pro Golf In Hawaii Edition

It's hard to believe, I know. Apathy surrounds the season opener at Kapalua. The biggest names stay home and the new oversaturation era begins with the PGA Tour's constant loop of action already seemingly exhausting. And it hasn't even started yet!

GolfChannel.com's Jason Sobel says the Hyundai Tournament of Some Champions has been overshadowed by the missing "Magnificent Seven," a "who’s who list of special talents: Rory McIlroy; Luke Donald; Tiger Woods; Justin Rose; Sergio Garcia; Phil Mickelson; Ernie Els."

But just think, they didn't get to pre-tape NFL style introductions!

Meanwhile Ann Miller in the Honolulu Advertiser publishes several ominous quotes from Tim Finchem fishing buddy, Fred Funk favorite and all-things-Hawaii point man, Mark Rolfing. Since it's behind a paywall, SBD summarizes the key lines.

"I know the date is problematic. We've got guys skipping that never skipped before. ... The fact is, it should be one week later. Next year will be worse. New Year's Day is Wednesday of tournament week.” Miller noted the PGA Tour Sony Open, the “first full-field event of the year, is next week at Waialae Country Club.”

It's not great news for the Sony either.

Sony's commitment as title sponsor extends through ‘14, though Rolfing “worries weaker fields and the date's conflict with the International Consumer Electronics Show could mortally wound a tour stop that goes back nearly 50 years.” Meanwhile, this is the final year of Hyundai's title sponsorship for the TOC, and the tournament’s “holiday date and diluted fields make it tough on extension talks.” Rolfing said, "I've talked to a whole lot of players, and I think one week would make a huge difference."

Fifty-shmifty. Sorry Mark, we've got WGC's and the all-important fall events taking priority! Oh and Asia too.

It's not all bad news, as Hyundai's front man sounds positive talking to Jim McCabe, even though they just can't quite seem to put ink to a new contract.

“We are very bullish,” Shannon said. “We don’t have anything to announce this week, particularly because we are so focused in executing another great event. But we’ve had discussions with the PGA Tour, but we just need to get this tournament behind us and then have some more discussions with them.”

Update on 2013-01-05 04:48 by Geoff

**At least they had Chamber of Commerce weather on opening day.

Well, maybe not, according to Jim McCabe on the first wipeout of a PGA Tour round since 2005 and means 36 holes Saturday.

It’s the first time a round has been scrubbed since the Players Championship in 2005, when play was stopped after only 30 players began.

From the opening tee shot, it was a precarious endeavor. Matt Kuchar, in the second pairing, double-bogeyed the par-3 second when he landed beneath the lip of a bunker and couldn’t get the ball out. It rolled back into one of his footprints, perhaps a 6-inch hole. By the time four or five groups had played the 368-yard, par-4 third, it was clear that this was a day unlike another that this tournament had ever seen.

How crazy was it? Well, chew on this, all you moaners and groaners who think the ball goes too far: The driving average for 16 players at the third was a robust 221 yards.

“I hit mine 215,” Rickie Fowler said. “And I hit it good.”

Liberty National Largely Undamaged By Sandy

Brian Wacker with a roundup of a few significant venues in the eye of Sandy and Liberty National, home to the 2013 Barclays so CBS can show the Statue Of Liberty 400 times, has gone largely unscathed. Heaven knows, the players will be relieved.

Days after the storm, Cupp, who designed Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., with Tom Kite, was still getting damage reports from up north, which included news that a loose ferry boat ended up about 10 feet from the cart path on the 10th hole.

There was also water in the lower parts of the clubhouse and several trees down on the course, which will host The Barlcays next year.

“The storm surge in Jersey City on the wind side of the bay was 12-15 feet, but the water was not salty because most of the water at that point is from the Hudson River,” Cupp said Thursday via text message. “I’d say they dodged a bullet.”

A reader sent in this photo making the rounds of the ferry in question:

Tiger, PGA Tour Commit To Malaysia

Tiger has committed to play the CIMB Classic in 2012 (Oct. 25-28), but more intriguing than that news was the confirmation that starting in 2013, the stop will be an official part of the PGA Tour schedule and FedExCup.

CIMB Group also announced that beginning in 2013, the CIMB Classic will be upgraded to an Official Money Event on the PGA TOUR and will be part of the season-long FedExCup competition. The field will also be expanded to include a minimum of 78 players and will carry a total purse of $7 million.

Wow, 78 players for $7 million and FedExCup points? The rich get richer!

"The plan has always been to become a full fledged event of the PGA TOUR, so this is fantastic news for us, for Malaysia and for the region," said Nazir as he announced that CIMB had signed a new five-year deal with PGA TOUR.

PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said, "In just two years, the CIMB Classic has become an important part of the PGA TOUR schedule and we are excited that this relationship has been extended for an additional five years. The tournament will continue to grow in stature as it becomes an official event and part of the FedExCup in our 2013-2014 season."

"Congratulations to the nation of Malaysia and the CIMB Group on this important announcement," added Finchem.