Wendy's Champions Skins Game: Final-Day Notebook

text size

KAANAPALI, Hawaii -- In only their second appearance each and first as a team, Fuzzy Zoeller and Peter Jacobsen captured the 2008 Wendy's Champions SKINS GAME. It was not only the first victory for the two, but the first money earned for either player in the event. In their earlier appearances (Zoeller, 2002 and Jacobsen, 2006), both players were shut out.

YES, WE'VE SEEN THIS BEFORE: For the second consecutive year, $320,000 was the winning total at the Wendy's Champions SKINS GAME. The six skins was the lowest winning total since Lee Trevino prevailed with that amount in 2003.

PARS CAN BE GOOD, THEY REALLY CAN: When Peter Jacobsen continued his clutch putting with an eight-foot par-putt on No. 11, it marked the first time since 2004 that a par won a skin in the Wendy's Champions SKINS GAME. The last time before that? Tom Watson's 1-foot par putt on the third playoff hole in 2004. When Zoeller drained the tap-in on the first playoff hole, it marked the first time that two pars won skins in the same event. Those were only the sixth and seventh times that a par has won a skin in event's history.

HOW DID THIS HAPPEN: For the first time since 2003, when Lee Trevino's six skins earned more money than Jack Nicklaus' seven skins, the winner won fewer skins than their closest pursuer. Fuzzy Zoeller and Peter Jacobsen won their $320,000 with six skins to the eight skins and $270,000 earned by first-day leaders and defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson.

DIDN'T YOU DO THIS LAST YEAR?: For the second consecutive year, Gary Player's team captured the 17th hole via the long, birdie putt. Last year, Player sank a 30-footer for the three-skin, $150,000 payout. This year, new partner Loren Roberts drained a 20-footer on the par-3 hole for the three-skin, $150,000 payout as the pair finished with four skins and $180,000.

GOING TO THE FREE CLINIC: After Saturday's play, Fuzzy Zoeller and Peter Jacobsen put on a free golf clinic for Maui youngsters and their parents on the Royal Ka'anapali range. Perhaps that bit of giving-back karma helped the pair roll to three consecutive birdies and $220,000 on the first three holes Sunday and build a foundation to their first Wendy's Champions SKINS GAME.

WE'RE GOING OVERTIME? OF COURSE WE ARE: For the 17th time in the 21-year history of the Wendy's Champions SKINS GAME, the players needed extra holes to decide matters. This edition went to the first playoff hole -- back to the difficult par-4 18th -- where Fuzzy Zoeller sank a par putt to capture the $100,000 Wendy's Super Skin.