Monday Backspin: The Foursome, Quick 18, more

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Teenager Tadd Fujikawa found himself in the spotlight after his exhilarating 62 on Saturday at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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TADD TERRIFIC: Tadd Fujikawa has come a long way. Two years ago when he burst onto the scene at Waialae Country Club, he was an irresistable 16-year-old bundle of excitement. We were intrigued by the story of his birth -- three months premature, weighing just 31 ounces and given a 50-50 chance of survival.

Then, just as he did when he was a baby, Fujikawa bucked the odds in becoming the youngest player in 50 years to make a cut on the PGA TOUR. Many people saw him as a feel-good story, though, and they wondered if he had staying power.

Those doubts were erased last week at the Sony Open in Hawaii as Fujikawa survived qualifying to earn his way into the field, made the cut and shot a third-round 62 to move within two shots of the lead.

So what if the magic disappeared Sunday? He's not the only contender to have shot a final-round 73 and plummeted down the leaderboard. Unlike two years ago, the circumstances of his birth weren't the story -- his performance on the golf course was. He earned a lot of respect. Now the question becomes: Can he build on it? -- Helen Ross

For a video version of the Backspin, click here.

The Top Three

Videos

• Highlights of Tadd Fujikawa's third-round 62. Watch • In the bag: Jerry Kelly. Watch • Great backspin shot from Tom Pernice Jr. Watch

Links

• Tiger Woods. Hank Haney. Charles Barkley. Click • Will Smith and Samuel Jackson in the same foursome? Click • Golfing buddies on that U.S. Airways flight. Click

AS SPECIAL AS IT GETS: Throughout the course of a season on the PGA TOUR, we all know we're bound to see several special performances. But mark my words: regardless of what unfolds the rest of the 2009 season, you'll be hard-pressed to put your finger on a better story than Tadd Fujikawa's 8-under 62 on Saturday.

The 18-year-old, who stands a mere 5-foot-1, was the giant on the island of Oahu as he fired the low round of the week, all while having his family dissected under a microscope by the media over his father's drug charges.

I'll never understand how someone so young could block out all the distractions and perform at such a high level. Then again, maybe he didn't know any better. -- T.J. Auclair

TIGER AND OBAMA: If there was a weekend to melt a TiVo, this was it. There was Tadd Fujikawa's 62, an anybody's-guess final round that featured Adam Scott, David Toms and Zach Johnson, and the Arizona Cardinals' miraculous march to the Super Bowl (more on their connection in A Quick 18). There was also President-elect Barack Obama's inaugural celebration in Washington D.C. This was significant on many levels, but as it relates to golf, it was significant for the inclusion of Tiger Woods.

Until recently, Woods remained far away from anything political. But since the birth of his daughter, and with a second child on the way next month, Woods seems to be taking a different approach. He's 33, has a family and a conscious that extends far beyond the ropes.

When Obama was elected, Woods texted a friend saying his old man would be proud. That same friend also told me Woods is a lot more concerned about the future and what's happening in the world than he used to be because he has kids now and because with Earl gone, he's got to be the man.

So now it appears Woods is taking his legacy a step further. Just how far and what it will ultimately mean we don't yet know, but it's obviously good for golf. By the way, don't be surprised if Woods invites Obama to join him at the AT&T National later this summer. -- Brian Wacker

THE ZACH ATTACK: Zach Johnson turns 33 next month, yet he already has five PGA TOUR wins. That's as many TOUR wins as Padraig Harrington, Stewart Cink and Scott Verplank, and it's one less than Retief Goosen. Each of those guys are, of course, older than Johnson.

And, at age 32, Johnson has won more TOUR events than Vijay Singh did when he was 32 (three) and Nick Price did when he was 32 (one). Both of those players, incidentally, are Hall of Famers.

I'm not sure what all that means, except to say that I'm liking Johnson's chances to reach double-digits win in his career. He obviously has found something in his game, and the results lately have been pretty impressive -- four top 10s (with two wins) in his last six TOUR starts going back to last season.

Sure, he won't wow you with his power, but you have to appreciate his grittiness and determination -- a couple of nice attributes to have if you're selecting, say, a U.S. Presidents Cup team. Johnson wasn't on the Ryder Cup team last year in Valhalla, but it's hard to imagine him not being at Harding Park this October. -- Mike McAllister

Stock up

Tadd Fujikawa: Zach Johnson called the 18-year-old a "phenom." I'm not sure I'd go that far, but it's clear this kid can play. The 8-under 62 on Saturday was just awesome. And because of it, we'll get to see what the kid can do elsewhere. David Toms: He'll win this year. Period. Toms looks a lot like his old self, and why not, considering he's employing his old caddie and his old clubs. Toms led in putts per round and was sixth in driving accuracy this week. Steve Marino: That's two top 10s for Marino in two years at the Sony Open in Hawaii -- a T4 last year and a T7 this year. He's definitely got the game and the attitude to win this year, maybe multiple times.

Stock down

Geoff Ogilvy: Early in the week, it looked like Oglilvy would be in contention for a second straight Sunday. Instead, the Mercedes-Benz Championship winner shot 72 to finish T32 -- down from 10th at the start of the day. Chris DiMarco: It's hard to get down on a guy who's been down for a few years, but you have to wonder when or if DiMarco is going to end a winless streak that dates back to 2002. Here's hoping he can turn it around after missing the cut at Waialae. Nathan Green: He and fellow Aussie Adam Scott pretty much flip-flopped on Sunday, with Scott moving up from 10th to finish T2 on the strength of a 64 and Green slipping from second to 12th thanks to a 72 that featured as many bogeys on Sunday as he had all week.

A Quick 18

Front Nine Back Nine It was a pretty good week for Iowans. Super Bowl-bound Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner and Sony Open champ Zach Johnson both graduated from Cedar Rapids High, where the two were four years apart -- Warner being the older of the two. It appears that Colin Montgomerie is now the front-runner to captain the 2010 European Ryder Cup team. Say what you want, but the man bleeds Ryder Cup and boasts a 20-9-7 record in the event as a player. Speaking of the Cardinals, their head coach, Ken Whisenhunt, tended a leaderboard at the Masters as a teenager, reports the Arizona Republic. He also once teed it up with Arnold Palmer at Augusta National, where his best score is a 74. Apparently Fuzzy Zoeller is the playing partner to have in the Wendy's Skins Game. His teams (Ben Crenshaw this year, Peter Jacobsen last year) have racked up 18 skins and $850,000 in the last two events. Meanwhile, one Jacksonville sports radio personality remembered Monday that Whisenhunt's offensive coordinator, Todd Haley, was once the assistant golf coach at Jacksonville University. Haley graduated in 1991 from the University of North Florida, just a few miles from PGA TOUR headquarters. Chad Campbell showed up for the Sony Open in Hawaii, but never teed it up. That's because he forgot to actually sign up for the event. Unfortunately for Campbell, he flew in the Saturday before the tournament -- one day after the deadline to sign up. He did play a round at an area course, however, before catching a flight back to Dallas. David Toms could be on the verge of a big year. Not only is he healthy again, but he's back with his longtime caddie, Scott Gneiser, and back to playing Cleveland clubs. His T2 at the Sony Open was his best finish since a 2006 win at ... the Sony Open. The World Golf Hall of Fame released its 2009 ballots early last week. Jay Haas and Kenny Perry are the new names on the PGA TOUR ballot and Ulsterman Darren Clarke is on the International ballot. Among the more notable names back from last year are Lanny Wadkins (TOUR) and Jose Maria Olazabal and Jumbo Ozaki (International). Another big name will soon be sidelined, with Adam Scott set to be out about a month because of a knee injury. He'll play the Qatar Masters next week before going home to Australia to get it treated. So much for all the 20-somethings on TOUR. The winners of the first two events this season -- Geoff Ogilvy and Zach Johnson -- are 31 and 32 years old, respectively. There's a reason why they say you play your best in your 30s. Because it's true. Unless maybe you're Vijay Singh. One player already on the shelf with a knee injury -- not Tiger Woods, but Vijay Singh -- will likely miss the next three events, setting him up for a return at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which he won in 2004. This was the first time in five appearances at the Sony Open in Hawaii that Ernie Els didn't finish in the top five. The Big Easy, who finished T39 this year, has 21 rounds in the 60s at Waialae. Unfortunately he opened with a 72 this year. Sony Open winner Zach Johnson proved you don't have to be big to play big. In fact, at one point on Saturday the leaderboard featured the 5-foot-11 Johnson, 5-10 David Toms, 5-7 Shigeki Maruyama, 5-10 Brian Gay, 5-9 Nathan Green, 5-1 Tadd Fujikawa and 5-11 Charles Howell III. Zach Johnson's victory is the seventh by a major championship winner at the Sony Open in Hawaii in the last 11 years (1999-Jeff Sluman, 2000-Paul Azinger, 2003/2004-Ernie Els, 2005-Vijay Singh, 2006-David Toms, 2009-Johnson). Speaking of Charlie three sticks, Howell says he put on 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason. That, or he added 20 pounds of hair (just kidding!). Either way, his fourth-place finish was his best result since a T3 at the Turning Stone Resort Championship -- his lone top five of 2008. Kapalua winner Geoff Ogilvy shot a final-round 72 at the Sony Open to finish T32, meaning that Ernie Els is still the only player ever to win the Mercedes-Benz Championship and the Sony Open in the same year. He did that in 2003. PGA TOUR rookie Gary Woodland had an interesting debut. The 24-year-old Kansas native had not one ball get stuck in a tree, but two during Friday's second round. He ended up triple-bogeying both holes (Nos. 6 and 12) and missed the cut. Tadd Fujikawa didn't have a sponsor's exemption to play in the Sony Open but don't be surprised if the precocious 18-year-old gets a few invites the rest of this year.

The Forward Spin

The 50th annual Bob Hope Classic hosted by Arnold Palmer will feature a lot of birdies and a lot of celebrity eye candy. Look for Justin Leonard (or a player like him) to do well here. He usually does, finishing second last year after winning the tournament in 2005. And remember, the tournament is five rounds, so don't forget to check out The Live Report beginning Wednesday afternoon.

Stock up/Stock down, Quick 18 and Forward Spin were written by PGATOUR.COM Site Producer Brian Wacker