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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 6, 2009

Fujikawa tied for 43rd after an adventurous 1-over 71

Advertiser Staff

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Tadd Fujikawa hits out of the sand trap during the first round of the Honda Classic golf tournament in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., Thursday, March 5, 2009. (AP Photo/J Pat Carter)

J PAT CARTER | Associated Press

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Honolulu's Tadd Fujikawa overcame two penalty strokes and bogeyed another hole after having to hit while standing in water to shoot a 1-over-par 71 yesterday in the first round of the Honda Classic in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.

Robert Allenby shot a 4-under 66 and stood in first place when play was suspended at the PGA National Resort and Spa's Championship Course because of darkness with only a few golfers unable to finish.

Charlie Wi, Jeff Overton, Angel Cabrera, Will MacKenzie, Sergio Garcia and Stewart Cink were tied for second at 3-under 67.

Fujikawa, an 18-year-old pro playing on a sponsor's exemption, started on the back nine and had one birdie and two bogeys to make the turn at 1-over 36. On the front nine, he had three birdies and three bogeys.

A birdie on his last hole put the Moanalua High senior in a tie for 43rd.

Fujikawa opened with three straight pars. He birdied the par-4 No. 13, sinking a 16-foot putt, then parred the par-4 No. 14.

He bogeyed the par-3 No. 15, the first of three consecutive holes nicknamed "The Bear Trap" because players have to hit over water to get to the green on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course.

Fujikawa hit his tee shot at No. 15 into the water, taking a penalty stroke. His next shot went to 9 feet of the hole, and he sank the putt for bogey.

Fujikawa fared better on the par-4 No. 16, two-putting from 43 feet for par.

On the par-3 No. 17, Fujikawa hit his tee shot into the hazard near the water, but, with his pants rolled up and bare feet in the water, he chipped to 17 feet of the hole, then two-putted for a bogey to go to 1-over.

Fujikawa two-putted from 16 feet for par on the par-5 No. 18 to make the turn at 1 over.

Fujikawa pulled even to start the back nine with a birdie. But he bogeyed his next hole to fall back to 1-over. He pulled even again by draining a 35-foot putt for birdie on the par-4 No. 4 hole.

But successive bogeys on his 14th and 15th holes (par-3 No. 5 and par-4 No. 6) put him at 2-over. On hole No. 6, Fujikawa hit his tee shot into the water for a penalty.

After two pars, Fujikawa birdied the par-4 No. 9 hole.

On that par-4, 421-yard hole, Fujikawa hit his second shot from 156 yards away to 12 feet, 10 inches from the hole and then drained the putt.

This is Fujikawa's first start since he tied for 32nd at Sony and came back three weeks later to get a share of 22nd at the Hawai'i Pearl Open.

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy, 19, is making his first start in a PGA Tour stroke-play event after getting a share of fifth at last week's Accenture Match Play Championship. He shot even-par 72.

Information from www.pgatour.com was used in this report.