Hyundai Tournament of Champions Player Spotlights:
Road to Kapalua for Zach Johnson, Matt Jones, Seung-yul Noh, Nick Taylor and Brendon Todd.
Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii – Leading up to the start of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, tournament officials are issuing player spotlight pages for each of the committed qualifiers for the winners-only event. Each spotlight page will highlight the road to Kapalua for four players committed to tee it up when the event returns to The Plantation Course at Kapalua from Jan. 8-12. This installment looks back on 2014 victories by Zach Johnson, Matt Jones, Seung-Yul Noh, Nick Taylor and Brendon Todd.
Zach Johnson’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions “Road To Kapalua” – Zach Johnson wasted no time qualifying for the 2015 Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He locked up his spot in the winners-only event at the 2014 edition of the event, where he defeated Jordan Spieth by one stroke in the first tournament of the 2014 calendar season.
My best moment of the year was the Hyundai Tournament of Champions,” Johnson said. “It was special, especially with my family there.”
Johnson’s win at Kapalua makes him the ninth player to win both of the PGA TOUR’s Hawaii events at least once; he won the Sony Open in 2009. This will be his eighth start in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Zach Johnson wins 2014 Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Matt Jones’ Hyundai Tournament of Champions “Road To Kapalua” – Australian Matt Jones made his lone top-10 finish of 2014 count, winning the Shell Houston Open in a dramatic playoff over Matt Kuchar. Jones chipped in for birdie from 42 feet on the first extra hole to capture his first career victory on the Road to Kapalua and first trip to the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
“I walked up there and told my caddy I was going to chip it in, and from my angle it’s hard to tell if it’s going to go in or not,” Jones said after his round. “You don’t know if it’s going to lip out, low or high, but when I saw it disappear it’s probably the happiest I’ve been on the golf course.”
Seung-Yul Noh’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions “Road To Kapalua” – Korean Seung-Yul Noh made 20 cuts in 27 starts in his third season on the PGA TOUR. Among those made cuts was his first career victory at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on the road to Kapalua, which qualified him for his first start in the winners-only Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
“Very excited and very happy,” Noh said following his victory. “Very challenging today out there, especially playing with Keegan, a major champion, and heavy wind today. It was playing really tough today, but I made the first victory on the PGA TOUR.”
Nick Taylor’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions “Road To Kapalua” – Nick Taylor’s road to Kapalua began in October as he started his rookie campaign on the PGA TOUR. Just a month into his rookie season, he captured the Sanderson Farms Championship and earned a spot in the field at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. It was his first career victory, and this will be his first start in the winners-only event.
“Unbelievable,” Taylor said when asked about what it felt like to win. “I called my wife and she’s in tears. She doesn’t know what’s going on. I don’t really know what’s going on either. She’s going to be in tomorrow. We’re going to Mexico together. It’s very exciting. I didn’t expect it this early, obviously. I always had the belief that I could win. It really sets up the rest of the year with the fast start.”
Brendon Todd’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions “Road To Kapalua” – Brendon Todd followed the lead of his fellow Georgia alumni on the road to Kapalua and picked up his first career victory at the HP Byron Nelson Championship. Todd joined a bevy of former Bulldogs in the winner’s circle in 2014, qualifying him for the Hyundai Tournament of Champions for the first time.
“I’m excited about the relief of feeling like I finally have a chance to play the PGA TOUR for multiple years,” Todd said. “That’s a huge exemption for winning.”
Todd recorded seven top 10s last season, including 25 made cuts in 29 starts and earned a trip to Atlanta for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola where he pledged $500 to the East Lake Foundation for each birdie he made during the week.
