HONOLULU — Patrick Fishburn found some early momentum and Denny McCarthy overcame a sluggish start on Friday as the pair ended up in the same spot at the Sony Open Tied for the lead heading into the opening weekend at Waialae.
Fishburne started the round with three straight birdies on the back nine and chipped in for birdie on the fifth hole before adding her final birdie for a 5-under 65.
By his standards, McCarthy missed two relatively short par putts early in the round. He was on the verge of a 66 when he made a 25-foot birdie on the fifth hole. Bird's attempt.
They finished at 10-under 130, one shot ahead of Kensei Hirata (63) and Eric Cole (67), who had a chance to share the lead but failed in the Waialae five. Missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the par hole.
Also lagging behind is 36-year-old rookie Paul Peterson, who played in five World Tour events before earning his PGA Tour card this year. He chose to end his round on the par-5 ninth hole, two-putting for birdie in near darkness and shooting a 67.
The cut was 137, 3 under. 2024 winner and FedEx Top 50 player. The roster includes Billy Horschel, Chris Kirk and Austin Eckrott.
McCarthy wasn't bothered at all by some of the short putts he missed because he was playing in the afternoon when there was already a lot of traffic, and because he made up for them by making long putts of his own.
“It’s kind of evenly matched,” he said.
Fishburne, a 32-year-old from Utah who is in his second year on Tour, made a big move by ensuring he has full eligibility for 2025 after suffering a bad fall. year, because only the top 100 players in the FedExCup retain their eligibility. He ranked 104th in his rookie season.
This is the second time to participate in the Sony Open and the first time to participate. He was one of the Korn Ferry Tour graduates who came to Oahu for rookie training, only to find the field was full and most of them couldn't compete.
“It was a relief to know on the plane that I was going to get a tee time. A completely different scenario,” he said. “So, yeah, it's great to be able to kick off this year.
One thing is certain. Hideki Matsuyama shot 35-under last week at Kapalua, and the record is firmly in place. Hawaiian Swings offers two distinct courses – the Kapalua course is built on the mountains and the Waialae course is built on the ocean. One is a long, wide resort course and the other is a private club with doglegs and narrow landing areas.
“It's definitely harder this time,” McCarthy said. “You're not going to win a 35-under championship here.”
The top five players entering the weekend had never won on the PGA Tour, which is key because an invitation to the Masters is crucial. But with 25 players remaining just four shots from the lead and 36 holes remaining, victory is still a long way off.
Players two shots behind include Austria's Sepp Straka and U.S. captain Zach Johnson, players from the last Ryder Cup from outside Rome.
Johnson, who turns 49 next month, holed a 9-iron on the third fairway for eagle and shot 31 on the front nine. He finished with a 66.
Johnson made her PGA Tour debut in 2004 at the Sony Open. Now he no longer has any status and needs an exemption from the Sony Open to compete in the tournament he once won. He wrote more letters and made more phone calls, seeking a place in the field.
“I'm not going to play like a huge schedule this year. I don't feel like I want to or need to, obviously for priority reasons,” said Johnson, who played only two games in the fall because he didn't want to miss his son of any high school football game.
Matsuyama shot a 69, 4 under. He's still trying to become just the third player to sweep the Hawaii Championship in the same year. The most recent was done by Justin Thomas in 2017.
The team at 6-under 134 included Gary Woodland, who just a year ago had brain surgery to remove a lesion that caused seizures and fears of death. Woodland’s swing has come together. He said he now has a clearer view of the golf course and has some patience with the game.
“I felt good, but I was on the golf course, I was in my zone, not looking for it,” Woodland said. “I think for a long time – most of last year – I didn't know what was going to happen every time I shot, how I was going to feel. It was like I hadn't felt this way in a long time. I'm heading towards Going in the right direction, there are still things to improve, but it's exciting and the signs are there.
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