Tournament Will Make Move to Hawaii Next Year

The 30th and last edition of the Mercedes Championships to be played at La Costa Resort and Spa went out in style, with sunny skies and a star-studded leader board.

Next year, the first tournament of the year will be played in Hawaii. A match-play event, part of the new World Golf Championships, will be played here in February.

“I’m sad to see it go, because I’ve had a pretty good time here,” said Woods, who won the event last year and finished tied for second with Mark O’Meara this year.

“I grew up right down the road [in Cypress] and I came down here and watched guys play. I saw a lot of my idols play here. I can no longer play on the same golf course that a lot of my idols played on.”

Rain suspended play in the second round here this year and forced the cancellation of the final round last year.

“For some reason the climate and weather took a dramatic change five years ago and we’ve really had some bad luck with the weather,” O’Meara said.

Surprisingly, San Diego native Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner here, seemed the least bothered by the tournament’s move.

“I’m excited about it because we’ve got a great match play coming,” Mickelson said. “I think this is an ideal place for that event.”