Woman Lands 1000 lb Fish, but Doesn't Win Tourney in Hawaii

A Hawaii tournament fisher fought a 12-foot, half-ton marlin in the Pacific Ocean for more than four hours before she and her teammates got the monster fish out of the water - but she missed out on the glory and thousands of dollars in prize money.

Molly Palmer, 28, would have needed to nab the fish by herself in order for it to qualify as a valid catch for the tournament, according to rules set by the International Game Fishing Association.

But her team helped her pull the massive marlin aboard - so all the Kailua-Kona angler got was a fish story.

Palmer told The Associated Press that her team wasn't overly concerned about getting disqualified hauling the fish on deck, because they just wanted to land the big catch.

Palmer's fish weighed in at 1,022.5 pounds, well over the record of 950 pounds for a woman using a 130-pound line.

Most of the fish caught during the three-day tournament were released, while those that died would be sold at market for seafood and marlin jerky.

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Larry Ellison Now Owns an Island

State officials from Hawaii say Oracle(ORCL) founder and CEO Larry Ellison has signed an agreement to scoop up 98 percent of Lanai for an undisclosed price. The seller, fellow billionaire David Murdock, is parting with two resort hotels, two championship golf courses, and more than 88,000 acres of land, according to documents filed with the Hawaii Public Utilities Commission.

Ellison, whose wealth is tagged at $36.4 billion by Bloomberg News, has had his eyes on Hawaii's sixth-largest island for some time. Oracle did not respond to a request for comment, but the Aloha State's rumor mill has been running on overdrive with speculation that either Ellison or Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates might try to grab the tropical gem, where Ellison has a home.

The island boasts unspoiled charm with 30 miles of paved roads, 400 miles of unpaved roads and no traffic lights. While the selling price was not revealed, The Maui News previously reported that the asking price was between $500 million and $600 million.

Tsunami Warning in Affect for 20 Countries

The threat of a tsunami prompted the U.S. National Weather Service to issue a warning for at least 20 countries and numerous Pacific islands after an 8.9-magnitude earthquake struck Japan Friday.

The wide-ranging list includes Russia and Indonesia, Central American countries like Guatemala, El Salvador and Costa Rica and the U.S. state of Hawaii. The weather service's bulletin is intended "as advice to government agencies."

The strongest quake in Japan in at least a century struck at 2:46 p.m. local time 81 miles off the coast of Sendai, north of Tokyo. Buildings shook in the capital, and television footage showed a wave of water as high as 10 meters engulfing farmhouses and roads along the coast. Fires broke out in an oil plant and buildings in Tokyo.

Waves traveling as fast as 800 kilometers an hour may be radiating from the epicenter, sparking warnings in countries that lie in their path. The quake is the strongest since a 9.1 magnitude earthquae off North Sumatra in Indonesia in December 2004 left about 220,000 people dead or missing in 12 countries around the Indian Ocean.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies warned that the tsunami is currently higher than some Pacific islands which it could wash over.

Hawaii is possibly in the path of a tsunami.  The tsunami warning issued late on Thursday for Hawaii prompted civil defense officials to order all Hawaiian coastal areas evacuated. The warning said that all islands in the Hawaiian chain were in the path of potential damage from a tsunami generated by the quake.



Fantasy Golf Buy, Sell, or Hold For Sony Open

Here's an AudioBoo preview, with a bonus "flyer" pick available only in the AudioBoo.  Give it a listen!

The first full field event of the season is where we head next.  A field of 144 will tee off at Waialae where they will face 7,000 challenging yards of lush fairways and sloping greens.

I wouldn't say it is a great field that will begin play this week, but it is a good one.  Davis Love III will join Vijay Singh, Ernie Els, Steve Stricker and Jim Furyk in the field this week.  

Will Jonathan Byrd continue his hot play from last week?  Will one of the twelve Australians in the field break through with a win, or will we see a first time winner emerge?

All of these questions will be answered by Sunday afternoon.

Until then, we'll look at the Buy, Sell, or Hold for the 2011 Sony Open at Waialae.  Remember the players are in A,B, or C categories.  Take that into consideration.

Buy:

Jim Furyk (A) - Anytime Jim Furyk tees it up in Hawaii you need to have him on your team.  Furyk hasn't played this event since 2008, but he has won it once and has five top-1o finishes.

Robert Allenby(B) - You get good value here for Allenby as a B player.  He loves the course, is in good form, and was the runner-up last year.  Add that to three top-10's in his last five appearances here.

K.J. Choi(A) - He plays well here, winning the title in 2008 and five other top-15 finishes.  K.J. is streaky, you might have him streak to a win this week.

Sell:

Charles Howell III (C) - I know he's usually a good pick for a C player, but he can be erratic off the tee and that will be his demise in the winds at Waialae.

Dustin Johnson (A) - Normally he would be a solid pick, but take note, he has withdrawn to attend a funeral in South Carolina.

Derek Lamely (A) - Lamely, a rookie on the PGA Tour struggled at the Hyundai last week.  I have to admit I don't know much about Derek, but you don't want to start him as a A-level player.

John Daly (C) - Even at the C level, don't take a chance on Daly.  He missed the cut last year and I don't expect him to fare any better this time around.

Hold:

Jonathan Byrd(A) - He rode a hot putter to a win last week at Kapalua and he's looking to continue it this week.  He hasn't fared as well at Waialae, but if you like playing the hot golfer, you'll want to have Byrd in your lineup.

College Bowl Play of the Day: Hawaii Bowl

Hawaii vs. Tulsa.

Hawaii is favored by 9.5 in the Hawaii Bowl.  Look at these trends:

Warriors are 8-0 ATS in their last 8 games as a favorite.

Warriors are 7-0 ATS in their last 7 home games.

Warriors are 5-0 ATS in their last 5 games as a home favorite.

I think Hawaii is the play.  Tulsa may lose the game, but I'm jealous, they got to spend part of their holidays out in Hawaii.  Not a bad gig if you can get it. 

Take Hawaii and give the 9.5.