Healthy again, DeLaet front-runner in Oahu
Playing in his 100th round on the PGA Tour, Graham DeLaet grabbed the early lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii with a 7-under 63, taking a two-stroke lead over Carl Pettersson, K.J. Choi and Kyle Reifers. It fell just one shy of his previous-best round on Tour – a third-round 62 at the 2010 Reno-Tahoe Open (finished T31).This marks DeLaet’s first lead after any round in a PGA Tour event.
DeLaet, a 29-year old native of Saskatchewan, Canada and current resident of Boise, ID, saw action in just two events in 2011 due to a back injury and is playing the 2012 season out of the Major Medical Extension category. He has 26 events to earn $657,694 in 2012, which combined with his earnings in 2011 ($10,472), would equal the earnings of No. 125 (D.J. Trahan) on last year’s money list.
DeLaet’s best showing on the PGA Tour came during his rookie season in 2010, finishing T3 at the Shell Houston Open.
DeLaet’s round at a glance: 5/14 fairways, 16/18 greens, 27 putts.
The last first-round leader to go on and win the Sony Open was Ryan Palmer in 2010.
K.J. Choi (5-under 65)
K.J. Choi, winner of the 2008 Sony Open in Hawaii, recorded a 5-under 65 on Thursday. The eight-time PGA Tour winner has now posted par-or-better opening-round scores 10 times in 11 starts at the Sony Open. The only exception being a 1-over 71 in 2010.
Choi, winner of the 2011 PLAYERS Championship, is making his 11th start at the Sony Open, with a win in 2008 among his three top-10 finishes.
Steve Stricker (4-under 66)
Steve Stricker opened with a 4-under 66 in his attempt to join Ernie Els (2003) as the only players to win the Sony Open in Hawaii and Hyundai Tournament of Champions back-to-back in the same season.
Stricker’s T9 in 2011 was his eighth top-15 finish in 12 starts at the Sony Open, including solo-third place finishes in 1996 and 2010, T4s in 2007 and 2008, T7 in 1998, T9 in 2011 and T14s in 1994 and 2000. In 47 rounds, he has failed to produce a score of par or better just five times.
Webb Simpson (4-under 66)
Webb Simpson’s 4-under 66 is his 13th consecutive round in the 60s on the PGA Tour, dating to a first-round 63 at the 2011 McGladrey Classic. Beginning with his win at the Wyndham Championship, Simpson’s average finish over his last eight starts is 6.25.
Mark Wilson (3-over 73)
Mark Wilson, who won the 2011 Sony Open in Hawaii by two strokes over Tim Clark and Steve Marino, is seeking to become just the fourth player to successfully defend a title at the Sony Open in Hawaii – Hubert Green (1978-79), Corey Pavin (1986-87) and Ernie Els (2003-04). He opened on Thursday with a 3-over 73.
Wilson played the last 40 holes of the 2011 Sony Open without a bogey en route to posting four rounds in the 60s for his third Tour win. Last year he totaled just five bogeys over 72 holes, the same number he posted during Thursday’s round.
J.J. Killeen (2-under 68)
Twenty-three of “The 25” graduates from the 2011 Nationwide Tour are competing this week, including leading money-winner J.J. Killeen. The only two players not participating are Mathew Goggin and Garth Mulroy. Killeen opened on Thursday with a 2-under 68.
Billy Hurley III (2-under 68)
Rookie Billy Hurley III, a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy, carded a 2-under 68 on Thursday. Earlier this week, Hurley visited the USS Chung-Hoon at Pearl Harbor, where he was stationed for two years and included deployment to the Persian Gulf. Hurley claimed the final spot among “The 25” on the 2011 Nationwide Tour money list.
Corey Pavin (even-par 70)
Two-time Sony Open champion Corey Pavin (1986, 1987) carded an opening-round even-par 70 in his 26th start at the Sony Open.
Miscellaneous Notes
This week’s field includes two 16-year-olds: Miguel Tabuena of the Philippines and Moanalua High School sophomore John Oda (who qualified for the lone amateur exemption in the Tournament). They posted opening rounds of 71 and 73, respectively.
Past champions of the Sony Open in Hawaii: K.J. Choi (65), Ryan Palmer (69), Corey Pavin (70), Jerry Kelly (70), Vijay Singh (71), Zach Johnson (72), David Toms (73), Mark Wilson (73) and Paul Goydos (75).
Eighteen players in the field also participated in last week’s Hyundai Tournament of Champions.
Twenty-four of the 26 rookies on the PGA Tour are competing this week. Here’s a look at their first-round score: Mark Anderson (72), Sang-moon Bae (68), Charlie Beljan (73), Tommy Biershenk (71), Jonas Blixt (72), Scott Brown (74), Miguel Angel Carballo (71), Roberto Castro (67) Bud Cauley (66), Gary Christian (73), Will Claxton (66), Erik Compton (71), Harris English (67), Brian Harman (72), John Huh (72), Billy Hurley III (68), J.J. Killeen (68), Russell Knox (70), Jason Kokrak (69), Danny Lee (72), Richard H. Lee (70), Edward Loar (70), Seung-yul Noh (66) and Ted Potter Jr. (68).
Bogey-free rounds:
R1 – Carl Pettersson (65), Webb Simpson (66), Colt Knost (66), Pat Perez (66), Kyle Stanley (66), Seung-yul Noh (66), Sean O’Hair (67), John Senden (68).
The par-4 first hole played the most difficult at 4.257. The par-5 ninth hole played the easiest at 4.340.
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