Mercedes Championships

08 Jan 2004 - 11 Jan 2004
Kapalua, Maui

Grand Slam of Golf
© Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images

You couldn’t ask for a better place to start the 2004 PGA TOUR season! The Kapalua Resort on the beautiful island of Maui is the host for this week’s Mercedes Championship. After a relaxing holiday season with family and friends, Mike and I are looking forward to the start of the new season, and what a way to begin it. With only 30 players in the field, the atmosphere here is really relaxed. Players and caddies have been enjoying themselves snorkeling and swimming on some of the best beaches around.

The Plantation Course at Kapalua is a demanding course that was designed for the prevailing winds coming from the south. At the best of times it is a very challenging course, and right now it is playing very long as the fairways and greens are soft from the 13+ inches of rain that fell in the area over a five day period last week. The grounds crew have done a unbelievable job getting the course ready for the opening round.

At 7,300 yards the Plantation Course plays to a par 73. There are three par-4’s which play over 470-yards and with the soft fairways and strong winds they will seem much longer. The long hitters will have a definite advantage this week. Another key to success this week at the Mercedes will be reading the greens. With the Bermuda grass and the wet conditions, the soft, grainy greens will be tough and the putter will have to be on this week.

Mike and I are eager to get going. This is the time last year he began his streak of great golf and it will be good to see how the new season unfolds. Mike has a lot of great shots in his memory on this course so I’m looking forward to this week.

Thanks for reading and enjoy watching the Mercedes!

Brennan Little