HONOLULU, HAWAII - The 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii PGA TOUR tournament signals the launch of full-field events on the PGA TOUR annually.  January 11-17, 144 PGA TOUR golf professional tee it up competing for a share of the $5,500,000 purse.  Sunday's champion takes home $990,000 prize money along with Sony gifts and a handsome watch.   Waialae Country Club golf course has been the PGA TOUR's tournament venue for for the past 45 years.  Its scenic oceanside greens, brisk trade winds and Seth Raynor flavor traditionally attracts one of the TOUR's most international fields.
2009 champion Zach Johnson posted a final round 5-under-par 65 to capture top honors at the Sony Open in Hawaii, out-performing Adam Scott and 2006 Sony Open Champion David Toms by two strokes. Johnson’s victory made it three straight years with a PGA TOUR victory for the likable Masters champ.  Eighteen-year-old Tadd Fujikawa from Honolulu maintained a share of the lead late Saturday and started the final round just two shots off the lead. The high school senior energized the crowd of more than 50,000 spectators but struggled in the final round and slipped to a tie for 32nd place.
The Sony Open in Hawaii 2010 features a field of internationally-renowned members of the PGA TOUR, including half of the 2009 Top-50 Money Leaders.  Event regulars include Sony Open champions Vijay Singh, Jerry Kelly, David Toms and other top-ranked players like Retief Goosen and Stewart Cink.
A week of entertaining, fun-filled activities for community and tournament spectators characterizes the event annually.  Million Dollar Shot qualifying round is held Sunday, January 10; the Sony Dream Cup Pro-Am is Monday, January 11; professional practice rounds and the King Auto Group Pro-Junior Skills Challenge are held Tuesday, January 12; the Official Sony Open in Hawaii Pro-Am is Wednesday, January 13. Thursday through Sunday, January 14 - 17, four rounds of professional tournament competition is nationally broadcast live by Golf Channel, and on a delay-basis to numerous international television networks reaching nearly 450 million households in 200 countries. It is the only PGA TOUR tournament with live broadcasts to Japan provided by NHK and Jupiter Sports Network. Following tournament play on Sunday afternoon, the Million Dollar Shot finalists compete for prizes at the 18th green.
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The golf professionals are not the only participants who take home a share of the “booty.”  Hawaii charities are perhaps the biggest winners at the Sony Open are Hawaii. In its eleven-year history, charity sponsor Friends of Hawaii Charities, Inc. has distributed over $9,000,000 in grants to qualifying applicants. Its charity partner, The Harry & Jeanette Weinberg Foundation, Inc, has matched tournament proceeds annually to push distributions to the million dollar milestone since 2005. The event demonstrates a community-corporate partnership that champions women, children, elderly and needy in Hawaii.
Tournament admission tickets and VIP Ocean Club Skybox hospitality packages are available for sale on-line at www.friendsofhawaii.org.  First Hawaiian Bank branches will serve as ticket outlets on Oahu beginning in December 2009. Admission to the event is free Monday and Tuesday, and $15 per person daily Wednesday through Sunday if purchased in advance on-line or at First Hawaiian Bank branches on Oahu. Tickets purchased at the gate are $20 per person daily. Season Badges are $50 and good for admission throughout the week. Children 12 years and younger are admitted free when accompanied by an adult with a purchased ticket. The tournament offers free parking venues and shuttle service between tournament parking sites and the golf course. E NOA Trolley Shuttles run from Waikiki for a nominal fee. For more information, please contact the Sony Open in Hawaii headquarters, 808-523-7888, visit www.friendsofhawaii.org, or e-mail friend@friendsofhawaii.org.