Charley Hoffman seems to be starting a trend.
Hoffman took an unconventional approach on the par-5 18th hole at Waialae Country Club for all four rounds of the Sony Open in Hawaii, hitting balls off the tee on the 10th fairway and cutting at least 60 yards from the 546-yard hole.
Hoffman’s line starts about 45 degrees left of center on the tee and runs through a small opening in some palm trees, through thicker trees and tents before the ball finds a landing spot just above the 10th green. From there, Hoffman had just 112 yards over the left field grandstand and onto the green.
Tom Hoge designed the Hoffman window through the X:
The 18th hole used stakes to mark the infield that was out of bounds when the tournament was played during the COVID-19 pandemic. But when the stands returned, the stakes were removed. However, the 13th hole still has an internal OB law to prevent players from playing on the 12th fairway.
Hoffman tried this plan last year, although he overdid it on his first attempt when he found himself outside the confines of the Kahala Hotel. He didn’t do it again until the weekend, when he made a pair of birdies on Saturday and Sunday. This year, Hoffman played the hole 3 under with three birdies. He leveled the hole on Thursday after possibly free help from TIO.
Despite the creative shortcut, Hoffman shot 1-for-71 on the final day, falling to T-59.
