Nicklaus, Watson defend Skins title
Tandem collects $310,000 to edge O’Meara, Langer
By MATTHEW CARROLL
Article from: The Maui News
KAANAPALI – Practice makes perfect, even for Jack Nicklaus.
Fresh off a two-month stretch of what he called “awful” golf, Nicklaus fired a 6-iron from 137 yards to within 12 feet on the par-3 17th hole and Tom Watson converted the $250,000 birdie putt Sunday as the legendary duo pocketed $310,000 en route to becoming the first tandem to successfully defend its title at the Kaanapali Champions Skins Game.
The pair of Hall of Famers captured the opening two skins on Saturday at the Royal Kaanapali Course and waited patiently over the ensuing 14 holes before the Golden Bear picked the perfect time to pounce, nearly duplicating his best shot of the opening round and locking up the team’s third crown together with seven skins.
“Skins game is a funny game. After birdieing the second hole yesterday, we were hanging in there, we really didn’t do much,” said Nicklaus, owner of a record 18 major championships. “Today we were just sort of hanging around, not really competing. All of sudden, 17, boom! That’s what the game is.
“I’m glad I picked the right hole to make the right shot and I’m glad Tom took the right hole to make the right putt.”
First-round leaders Bernhard Langer and Mark O’Meara were left with $300,000 and seven skins, including the $100,000 “superskin” on the second playoff hole, after Langer’s 15-footer lipped out on the 17th. Fred Couples and Nick Price won two skins and $80,000, as did Ben Crenshaw and Fuzzy Zoeller.
“I’m disappointed that we didn’t win, but Jack hit an amazing shot off the 17th hole after I hit a pretty good one, and the hole was playing pretty tough,” O’Meara said. “He hit a world-class shot and Tom made a world-class putt.”
That’s a far cry from where Nicklaus deemed his game to be recently.
The 71-year old doesn’t hit the links that much anymore – “If I play 10 rounds of golf between now and the time I get back here next year I’ll be just absolutely amazed,” he said – but managed to sneak in a handful of holes during a two-month stretch in Florida prior to his arrival on the Valley Isle.
The greatest golfer of all time is one of few who can call three 78s, a 76 and a 72 “just terrible.”
“I even came out and practiced for the first time in five years,” Nicklaus said. “I hadn’t practiced in five years, where I actually went out to try and practice.
“I was on the verge of hitting the ball decently when I came out here, and actually I really started hitting the ball here.”
It showed Saturday, when he landed a 5-iron from 185 yards within three feet for two skins, and it was evident Sunday, too, never more so than on the final par 3.
“It may be surprising to some, it may be surprising to him, but it’s typical Jack in the way that he looks at his golf game,” said Watson, an eight-time major champion who also won with Nicklaus in 2007. “He looks at it very pragmatically, as I do. That’s why we like each other, ’cause we look at the game very pragmatically.
“He said, ‘When I first came here I was hitting it not very well. Then I found something that worked and then I found another thing that was working I added on top of that, and then I found a third thing that worked and added it on top of that and actually was playing pretty well.’ ”
During Nicklaus’ early-morning practice rounds, the picturesque shot over the fountain-dotted pond played as a 7- or 8-iron. Around 4:30 p.m. Sunday, however, a stiff wind forced him to alter his approach, and teeing off last allowed him to do so.
“I saw the guys try to hit 7-irons and they were hitting the ball, they were spinning it and they were going all over the place,” Nicklaus said. “So I said I’m going to take my 6-iron, choke it down a couple inches and just pick it, and try to make sure I didn’t put any spin on the ball. Which is what I did. It turned out to be a pretty darn good shot.
“Sometimes you have to go back and look in your memory bank and see if you can find something.”
Watson instantly recognized it was the best of the bunch.
“When the ball left his club, it was just boring right through the air, it wasn’t ballooning,” he said. “I knew it was going to be a heck of a shot.”
The stakes just added to the flair of the moment.
After Langer sank a seven-foot birdie worth $80,000 on No. 12, multiple players missed opportunities.
Price – who tapped in for birdie on the 10th for his team’s skins -missed a short birdie try on the 13th, curling the putt around the right side of the cup, and Couples missed a 10-footer for $100,000 on the 14th. After the 15th was halved, Couples again faltered with a big prize on the line, barely missing a downhill 15-footer for birdie on the 16th and carrying the pot over for a fourth straight hole.
“We needed a putt, but you know, today no one really made a putt,” Couples said. “We were in the same ballgame.”
As were Nicklaus and Watson, biding their time before seizing the day.
“Just lurking. We were just dodging bullets out there. We were dodging bullet after bullet after bullet,” Watson said. “We weren’t helping ourselves very much. When Jack hit that shot at 17, I knew it was time to convert.”
They landed in the rough more times than they care to remember, played out of a bunker or two and missed some key putts, yet always remained in the hunt.
Not quite the blueprint for success. But then again, with 26 major championships between the two, coming through in the clutch is nothing new.
“As I said to a lot of people yesterday, I said how would you like to step up on the first tee, and people say, ‘Well who’s your partner?’ ‘Well, my partner is Jack Nicklaus,’ ” Watson said emphatically. “How would you feel like having Jack Nicklaus as your partner?
“That’s the way I feel, always have.”
Couples probably wouldn’t mind the opportunity, either.
“Into the wind here, he hit a beautiful shot. That made the week, really, for me to watch that,” he said. “To see Jack hit that shot, the toughest shot of the day and he was the one who hit it, it was kind of fun to watch.”
Tuesday, February 1, 2011
Saturday, January 29, 2011
What's In Store For 2011?
Click the link for an insightful Associated Press article.
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-01-28-16-54-09
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_ECONOMY?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-01-28-16-54-09
Friday, January 28, 2011
Big Developer, Selling Off Property...
Properties available in Waihee, Wailuku, Kihei and even in Kona on the Big Island.
If you have any questions about Commercial Real Estate available on Maui, please call Bob Hansen, BROKER at 808.283.9456 or Donna D. Hansen, Realtor (S) at 808.280.1650.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
Dollhouse in Piilani Village
This single level home has a spacious great room with large kitchen island, a dining room area, large master suite, two other bedrooms in separate wing and an adorable garden. Tenants would love to stay on and rent while taking great care of this fabulous home. This is a perfect opportunity for an investor or someone wishing to purchase a home now at today’s great prices, rent it out to the perfect tenant until the time to move over permanently comes along.
Call Bob Hansen, BROKER @ 808.283.9456 or Donna D. Hansen, Realtor (S) @ 808.280.1650 to schedule a showing appointment.
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Hawaii Had Over 7 Million Visitors in 2010 and Spending Rose 16.2%
Hawaii attracted 7 million visitors, $11.4 billion in spending in 2010
By Allison Schaefers
Article from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Jan 26, 2011
Visitor arrivals to Hawaii grew by 8.7 percent to nearly 7.1 million in 2010 and spending rose 16.2 percent to $11.4 billion.
Arrivals in December grew for the fourteenth straight month and overall spending rose by double-digit increases for the eighth straight month, according to data released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Total arrivals rose 9.6 percent to 633,730 visitors in December and total spending by these visitors increased 17.9 percent to $1.1 billion. Arrivals in all major markets posted December gains. Visitors from the U.S. West rose by 8.4 percent, visitors from the U.S. East grew by 10.1 percent, visitors from Canada grew by 16.6 percent, visitors from Japan increased by 8.6 percent and cruise ship traffic was up 11.5 percent.
While the results are solid indicators that Hawaii tourism is continuing to gain momentum, the state still has a way to go to achieve full recovery, said Mike McCartney, HTA’s president and chief executive officer.
By Allison Schaefers
Article from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
Jan 26, 2011
Visitor arrivals to Hawaii grew by 8.7 percent to nearly 7.1 million in 2010 and spending rose 16.2 percent to $11.4 billion.
Arrivals in December grew for the fourteenth straight month and overall spending rose by double-digit increases for the eighth straight month, according to data released today by the Hawaii Tourism Authority.
Total arrivals rose 9.6 percent to 633,730 visitors in December and total spending by these visitors increased 17.9 percent to $1.1 billion. Arrivals in all major markets posted December gains. Visitors from the U.S. West rose by 8.4 percent, visitors from the U.S. East grew by 10.1 percent, visitors from Canada grew by 16.6 percent, visitors from Japan increased by 8.6 percent and cruise ship traffic was up 11.5 percent.
While the results are solid indicators that Hawaii tourism is continuing to gain momentum, the state still has a way to go to achieve full recovery, said Mike McCartney, HTA’s president and chief executive officer.
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Missing Something? How To Find Out If You Have Unclaimed Property
State acquires almost $18M in forgotten funds
Unclaimed property went up in the last fiscal year, compared with the previous year
By Kristen Consillio
Article from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The state collected $17.7 million in unclaimed property, including bank accounts, uncashed checks and stocks, last fiscal year — the highest accumulated in a decade.
The state’s Unclaimed Property Program acquired nearly $1.2 million more in the fiscal year ended June 30 compared with the previous year, while paying out $5.7 million to 7,452 claimants, up from nearly $5.5 million paid to 7,681 people the year before.
The average claim since 2006, when the state launched an outreach program to encourage more people to retrieve forgotten funds, was $672.
The lowest claim, which was mailed to the office, was for 19 cents, while the highest in recent years was about $112,000, according to Scott Kami, administrator of the Financial Administration Division at the state Department of Budget and Finance.
“Some people want to make sure the government isn’t holding any of their money,” Kami said.
The reason for the increase in collections is due in part to outreach efforts both to companies that report the overlooked funds as well as prospective claimants, he said.
Unclaimed funds typically consist of bank accounts, stocks, uncashed business checks, safety deposit boxes and various types of insurance proceeds.
COME AND GET IT
Types of unclaimed property:
» Safety deposit boxes
» Deposits held by utility companies
» Dormant savings and checking accounts
» Insurance and medical refunds
» Shares of stock
» Uncashed traveler’s checks, money orders, dividend checks, payroll checks
Source: State Department of Budget and Finance Unclaimed Property Program
MISSING SOMETHING?
How to find out whether you have unclaimed property:
In Hawaii
» Search for your name at www.ehawaii.gov/lilo/app.
» E-mail unclaimedproperty@hawaii.gov.
» Call the state unclaimed property office at 586-1589
Outside Hawaii
» Visit www.unclaimed.org or http://www.missingmoney.com/.
“Where we see a lot of unclaimed property in part because of your tourism (industry) is going to be with the transient work force,” said Valerie Jundt, president of Boston-based nonprofit Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization, which has more than 300 members that include banks, insurance companies, oil and gas firms, and retailers.
Unclaimed property scenarios include people who have multiple jobs and do not notify employers when they move; shareholders of a company that merge with another firm; or part-time residents using Hawaii as a second home who forget about bank accounts here, she said.
The company also sees high unclaimed property rates in college towns as students forget to collect deposits for utilities or cable, she added.
“Especially with all the identity theft that’s been going on in recent years with technology, people don’t necessarily share as openly with their personal lives, and they aren’t going to be as open where they have certain accounts or have transactions that occur,” Jundt said.
Makiki resident Celia Suzuki, 54, retrieved about $200 last year for herself, her parents and two siblings. While her portion was only $9.50 for uncollected dividends, Suzuki said, “every penny counts.”
She even checked the state website for friends who might have forgotten funds.
“One classmate and his wife on Maui had $1,000 in savings they totally had forgotten about,” Suzuki said.
If the property is not claimed, it goes to the state budget. The program pays all proven claims each year. If there is more than $1.3 million left after paying the claims, the excess goes to the general fund, a statutory requirement.
Approximately $12 million in unclaimed property was transferred to the general fund last fiscal year, up from about $10 million in fiscal 2009.
“It’s one of the ways that states are supplementing their revenue,” said Kim Sawyer, president and general counsel for Locator Services Group Ltd., a Boston-based firm that helps corporate clients recover unclaimed funds.
“The perspective states take is it shouldn’t be a windfall to private companies that are holding onto dormant assets. Rather, citizens of states should benefit by state governments having the ability to utilize these funds until the rightful owners come forward.”
Hawaii has no statute of limitations for unclaimed property and does not charge a fee to claimants, who must fill out a form with personal information, including Social Security number and explanation of ownership.
The state faces challenges at times, especially when people have common names, but said most claims are returned.
“We do get a lot of claims for John Smith,” Kami said. “You could have one John Smith file a claim for all John Smiths. We need to make sure we are getting it to the right people.”
Nationally, at least $32.9 billion is collectively being held by states and other agencies for 117 million accounts, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.
The state program, which has nine workers, is currently focusing efforts on catching up on claims processing. It can go back 20 years to try and verify ownership through a people finder subscription website.
Unclaimed property went up in the last fiscal year, compared with the previous year
By Kristen Consillio
Article from: Honolulu Star-Advertiser
The state collected $17.7 million in unclaimed property, including bank accounts, uncashed checks and stocks, last fiscal year — the highest accumulated in a decade.
The state’s Unclaimed Property Program acquired nearly $1.2 million more in the fiscal year ended June 30 compared with the previous year, while paying out $5.7 million to 7,452 claimants, up from nearly $5.5 million paid to 7,681 people the year before.
The average claim since 2006, when the state launched an outreach program to encourage more people to retrieve forgotten funds, was $672.
The lowest claim, which was mailed to the office, was for 19 cents, while the highest in recent years was about $112,000, according to Scott Kami, administrator of the Financial Administration Division at the state Department of Budget and Finance.
“Some people want to make sure the government isn’t holding any of their money,” Kami said.
The reason for the increase in collections is due in part to outreach efforts both to companies that report the overlooked funds as well as prospective claimants, he said.
Unclaimed funds typically consist of bank accounts, stocks, uncashed business checks, safety deposit boxes and various types of insurance proceeds.
COME AND GET IT
Types of unclaimed property:
» Safety deposit boxes
» Deposits held by utility companies
» Dormant savings and checking accounts
» Insurance and medical refunds
» Shares of stock
» Uncashed traveler’s checks, money orders, dividend checks, payroll checks
Source: State Department of Budget and Finance Unclaimed Property Program
MISSING SOMETHING?
How to find out whether you have unclaimed property:
In Hawaii
» Search for your name at www.ehawaii.gov/lilo/app.
» E-mail unclaimedproperty@hawaii.gov.
» Call the state unclaimed property office at 586-1589
Outside Hawaii
» Visit www.unclaimed.org or http://www.missingmoney.com/.
“Where we see a lot of unclaimed property in part because of your tourism (industry) is going to be with the transient work force,” said Valerie Jundt, president of Boston-based nonprofit Unclaimed Property Professionals Organization, which has more than 300 members that include banks, insurance companies, oil and gas firms, and retailers.
Unclaimed property scenarios include people who have multiple jobs and do not notify employers when they move; shareholders of a company that merge with another firm; or part-time residents using Hawaii as a second home who forget about bank accounts here, she said.
The company also sees high unclaimed property rates in college towns as students forget to collect deposits for utilities or cable, she added.
“Especially with all the identity theft that’s been going on in recent years with technology, people don’t necessarily share as openly with their personal lives, and they aren’t going to be as open where they have certain accounts or have transactions that occur,” Jundt said.
Makiki resident Celia Suzuki, 54, retrieved about $200 last year for herself, her parents and two siblings. While her portion was only $9.50 for uncollected dividends, Suzuki said, “every penny counts.”
She even checked the state website for friends who might have forgotten funds.
“One classmate and his wife on Maui had $1,000 in savings they totally had forgotten about,” Suzuki said.
If the property is not claimed, it goes to the state budget. The program pays all proven claims each year. If there is more than $1.3 million left after paying the claims, the excess goes to the general fund, a statutory requirement.
Approximately $12 million in unclaimed property was transferred to the general fund last fiscal year, up from about $10 million in fiscal 2009.
“It’s one of the ways that states are supplementing their revenue,” said Kim Sawyer, president and general counsel for Locator Services Group Ltd., a Boston-based firm that helps corporate clients recover unclaimed funds.
“The perspective states take is it shouldn’t be a windfall to private companies that are holding onto dormant assets. Rather, citizens of states should benefit by state governments having the ability to utilize these funds until the rightful owners come forward.”
Hawaii has no statute of limitations for unclaimed property and does not charge a fee to claimants, who must fill out a form with personal information, including Social Security number and explanation of ownership.
The state faces challenges at times, especially when people have common names, but said most claims are returned.
“We do get a lot of claims for John Smith,” Kami said. “You could have one John Smith file a claim for all John Smiths. We need to make sure we are getting it to the right people.”
Nationally, at least $32.9 billion is collectively being held by states and other agencies for 117 million accounts, according to the National Association of Unclaimed Property Administrators.
The state program, which has nine workers, is currently focusing efforts on catching up on claims processing. It can go back 20 years to try and verify ownership through a people finder subscription website.
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