The Loop

Mahan and Day take circuitous route to Maui

January 03, 2011

KAPALUA, Hawaii -- Sporting a full growth of hair on his face, Hunter Mahan looked refreshed and ready for his first practice session of the 2011 season Monday morning at Kapalua Resort's Plantation Course, site of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He looked no worse for wear for a guy who'd just spent an extra 12 hours on an airplane.

Mahan and fellow PGA Tour pro Jason Day were on an American Airlines flight from Dallas to Honolulu Sunday that had to make an emergency landing in Salt Lake City for an ailing passenger. The plane then returned to Dallas for an inspection before resuming the trip. Instead of arriving in Maui at 6 p.m. HST Sunday, they finally landed at 6 a.m. Monday. Mahan showed up to work with swing coach Sean Foley around 11.

"It was interesting. But it was something that they needed to do," Mahan said. "There was this young girl who'd apparently had gall bladder surgery about three days ago; she shouldn't have been on a flight, especially one for seven hours, over water. But nothing you can do about it. Other people were complaining to the flight attendants. And for what? Wasn't their fault. And here we are."

Well, golfers learn to take the good with the bad, right?

Said Mahan with a laugh, "Well ... yeah. And, fortunately, I know how to sleep on a plane."

-- Dave Shedloski