Brad Faxon hopeful of speedy return

Don't count out Brad Faxon for the season-opening Mercedes Championships.

Faxon, who became eligible for Kapalua when he won the Buick Championship at Hartford, had surgery to repair ligaments in his right knee Sept. 13. His doctor told him the recovery would be four to six months.

"He's closer to six," Faxon said. "I'm closer to four."

Faxon, at the Tour Championship to receive the Payne Stewart Award, said he was ahead of schedule. He was on crutches for six weeks, but doctors like his motion and muscle tone.

The Mercedes Championships starts Jan. 5, which will be 16 weeks and two days from his surgery. Asked if he would be in Maui, Faxon replied, "I'm going to do everything in my power."

"If the first shot I hit after surgery is Thursday [of the tournament], I'm happy with that," he said.

Faxon, who lives in Rhode Island, usually takes the winter off and goes to either Florida or California a week before the season to get ready. The only issue might be the hilly terrain of the Plantation Course at Kapalua.

And if he's ready for Kapalua, the temptation will be to stay an extra week for the Sony Open at Waialae, where Faxon won in 2001. The goal all along was to be ready for one of Faxon's favorite tournaments, the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, which starts Feb. 9.

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