SONY OPEN, FIRST ROUND
ASSOCIATED PRESS
South Korea's K.J. Choi acknowledged the crowd after making birdie on the 18th hole, giving him a first-round score of 64 and a one-shot lead.
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Choi dialed in
Ideal weather conditions help the veteran take a one-shot lead
STORY SUMMARY »
On a day where the wind was down and the rough was high, keeping it in the fairway was a premium during yesterday's opening round of the $5.3 million Sony Open in Hawaii. Apparently, most of the golfers got the memo.
Leaderboard
After first round:
| Name |
Score |
To Par
|
| K.J. Choi |
64 |
-6
|
| Jimmy Walker |
65 |
-5
|
| Heath Slocum |
65 |
-5
|
| Steve Marino |
65 |
-5 |
|
Led by K.J. Choi's stellar 6-under 64, some 78 of the world's best found red numbers with 101 shooting par or better, taking advantage of benign conditions at Waialae Country Club where the Kona winds ruled.
Playing in the relative calm of the afternoon, Choi emerged from the pack to take a one-shot lead over Jimmy Walker, Heath Slocum and Steve Marino, who carded solid 65s. Another nine golfers were tied for fifth, just two shots off the pace, including Mercedes-Benz Championship winner Daniel Chopra, Rory Sabbatini and Chad Campbell.
"This is my seventh time here at the Sony Open and today I think what's meaningful is that I had a bogey-free round," Choi said through interpreter Michael Yim. "My score reflected it."
He was not alone. There are 30 golfers within three shots of the lead. Walker posted the first 5-under round in the morning with Slocum and Marino joining him in the afternoon.
"It was a very good opening to the year," Slocum said. "To go bogey-free out there, I think we got a little break with the wind because we're definitely accustomed to a little windier days. Definitely very pleased and hopefully can carry it over for the rest of the week."
Marino echoed those sentiments. He had six birdies and one bogey for the day. Last year, he was paired with Michelle Wie. He had a quieter opening 18 holes yesterday.
The local contingent didn't fare as well. Dean Wilson's 1-over 71 was the best of the lot. Parker McLachlin opened with a 73 and Tadd Fujikawa managed a 4-over 74. Amateur Alex Ching shot a 72.
STAR-BULLETIN
FULL STORY »
Jimmy Walker is one of the few guys who doesn't have a lot of fond memories of Hawaii. He's hopeful yesterday's opening-round 65 at the $5.3 million Sony Open in Hawaii changes all that.
The San Antonio resident, who qualified by being the 25th Nationwide Tour graduate in 2007, made the most of his opportunity yesterday in relatively quiet fashion. Partnered with local boy Parker McLachlin, an eagle at his closing hole (No. 9) propelled him to within one shot of the lead held by K.J. Choi with a 6-under 64.
Joining Walker in a tie for second at 5-under 65 were Steve Marino and Heath Slocum. Both golfers managed their rounds in the late afternoon. Walker held the lead for most of the day before Choi emerged from the pack with a birdie at the last.
There were another nine golfers tied for fifth at 4-under 66, including fellow Texan Chad Campbell, Rory Sabbatini and Mercedes-Benz Championship winner Daniel Chopra.
Calm conditions ruled for most of the opening round as Walker made his presence felt by birdieing four of his first six holes. His back nine was less productive most of the way. It included a bogey 5 at the third (his 12th), but the eagle from 12 feet at the last moved him to the head of the class, a good feeling considering what happened here two years ago.
"Well, I wasn't sure I was going to get in because of my number off the Nationwide Tour," Walker said. "When I saw I was getting in, I'm like, 'Oh, good, I get to go back to Hawaii, I've got some good memories (laughter).' My wife stayed home. It hasn't been a great couple of trips for us. I was like, 'I have to go' because when you get in, you've got to play."
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Jimmy Walker followed his shot on No. 18 yesterday. Walker shot a first-round 65 at the Sony Open in Hawaii, landing him in a tie for second place, a stroke behind K.J. Choi.
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You'll have to forgive Walker for being reluctant to play at Waialae. The Monday before his opening tournament here in 2005, Walker injured himself while on the practice tee. He had an MRI done where he discovered he had a bulging disc in his neck. He still tried to hit some golf balls on Wednesday, but that was a bad idea.
"I tried to come back and it put me in the bed, literally," Walker said. "I could not function. I had to lay down and really couldn't move. I mean, it was pretty painful."
So much so, 2005 is a year he wants to forget. He played in only nine tournaments, finishing No. 207 on the money list. Not that 2006 was much better. He began by finishing dead last here after the first two rounds with a 150 that included an 80 on Thursday, missing the cut. And while he'd like a dream ending here, he knows he has a long way to go before holding a trophy on Sunday.
"It's too early for that," Walker said. "I just want to go out and keep playing well. You'd love for the fairy-tale ending, but there's a lot of golf left. I feel good and I hit it well and I'm putting well. Just keep all that going and it'll be good."
Playing with McLachlin was an interesting sidelight. Both were part of one of the more unusual Nationwide Tour events in Connecticut. McLachlin entered the final round with a seven-shot lead over Walker. It wasn't long before Walker not only made up that deficit, but won the event with a 5-under 67, leaving McLachlin in fourth with a final-round 77.
"He hit a lot of fairways, especially starting out," McLachlin said. "I was paired with him in the final round of that Nationwide event I was leading going in; he came up and caught me."
Walker could only stand by and watch as the afternoon guys tracked him down.
Making his seventh Sony appearance, Choi has always played well here and showed it yesterday with six birdies and no bogeys on the opening day.
"I feel good this week," Choi said. "It's a good vibe that I'm feeling, and with all the fans, the local fans supporting me, they're treating me well."
Slocum and Marino also had good opening rounds to catch Walker for second. But the Texan isn't worried about that right now. He just wants to keep hitting fairways and greens.
"If you hit it in the rough, you had to get in there and get after it and try to thrash it out of there pretty hard," Walker said. "Fairways were a premium. I didn't hit a ton, but I got pretty lucky. The greens are good. They're rolling really well. It's the best I've seen it condition-wise for three years that I've played."
Sony Open in Hawaii Scores
At Waialae Country Club
Purse: $5.3 million
Yardage: 7,044; Par 70 (35-35)
FIRST Round
| K.J. Choi |
32-32 |
-- |
64
|
| Jimmy Walker |
34-31 |
-- |
65
|
| Heath Slocum |
33-32 |
-- |
65
|
| Steve Marino |
34-31 |
-- |
65
|
| Rory Sabbatini |
34-32 |
-- |
66
|
| Chad Campbell |
32-34 |
-- |
66
|
| Steve Lowery |
32-34 |
-- |
66
|
| James Driscoll |
32-34 |
-- |
66
|
| Kenneth Ferrie |
33-33 |
-- |
66
|
| Mitsuhiro Tateyama |
34-32 |
-- |
66
|
| J.P. Hayes |
34-32 |
-- |
66
|
| Daniel Chopra |
32-34 |
-- |
66
|
| Brad Adamonis |
33-33 |
-- |
66
|
| Jay Williamson |
36-31 |
-- |
67
|
| John Riegger |
33-34 |
-- |
67
|
| John Mallinger |
35-32 |
-- |
67
|
| Carl Pettersson |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Robert Gamez |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Kevin Na |
33-34 |
-- |
67
|
| Jerry Kelly |
32-35 |
-- |
67
|
| Chad Collins |
33-34 |
-- |
67
|
| Todd Demsey |
32-35 |
-- |
67
|
| Spencer Levin |
35-32 |
-- |
67
|
| Vaughn Taylor |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Cameron Beckman |
35-32 |
-- |
67
|
| Zach Johnson |
33-34 |
-- |
67
|
| Brian Gay |
35-32 |
-- |
67
|
| Robert Garrigus |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Alejandro Canizares |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Travis Perkins |
33-34 |
-- |
67
|
| Doug LaBelle II |
34-33 |
-- |
67
|
| Ryuji Imada |
33-35 |
-- |
68
|
| Shigeki Maruyama |
32-36 |
-- |
68
|
| Dudley Hart |
34-34 |
-- |
68
|
| Jim Furyk |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Brian Bateman |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Brett Wetterich |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Brandt Snedeker |
34-34 |
-- |
68
|
| Mark Calcavecchia |
33-35 |
-- |
68
|
| Kevin Streelman |
34-34 |
-- |
68
|
| Tim Wilkinson |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Jeff Overton |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| George McNeill |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| J.B. Holmes |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Tim Petrovic |
32-36 |
-- |
68
|
| Briny Baird |
37-31 |
-- |
68
|
| Nathan Green |
33-35 |
-- |
68
|
| Daisuke Maruyama |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Dustin Johnson |
34-34 |
-- |
68
|
| Chez Reavie |
36-32 |
-- |
68
|
| Yusaku Miyazato |
36-32 |
-- |
68
|
| Matt Jones |
35-33 |
-- |
68
|
| Jason Gore |
37-32 |
-- |
69
|
| Bart Bryant |
33-36 |
-- |
69
|
| Boo Weekley |
36-33 |
-- |
69
|
| Charles Howell III |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Aaron Baddeley |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| D.J. Trahan |
36-33 |
-- |
69
|
| Jeff Maggert |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Bob Estes |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Jon Mills |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Kyle Thompson |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Rocco Mediate |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Sean O'Hair |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Fred Funk |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Troy Matteson |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Will MacKenzie |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Jesper Parnevik |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Pat Perez |
36-33 |
-- |
69
|
| Craig Kanada |
36-33 |
-- |
69
|
| Roland Thatcher |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| John Merrick |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Alex Aragon |
37-32 |
-- |
69
|
| Y.E. Yang |
36-33 |
-- |
69
|
| Jason Allred |
34-35 |
-- |
69
|
| Bob Sowards |
33-36 |
-- |
69
|
| Martin Laird |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Kiyoshi Miyazato |
35-34 |
-- |
69
|
| Tom Pernice, Jr. |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Kent Jones |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Ted Purdy |
34-36 |
-- |
70
|
| Kevin Stadler |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Angel Cabrera |
34-36 |
-- |
70
|
| Vijay Singh |
37-33 |
-- |
70
|
| Kenny Perry |
35-35 |
-- |
70
|
| Tom Lehman |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Ryan Armour |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Richard S. Johnson |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Paul Claxton |
38-32 |
-- |
70
|
| Scott Sterling |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Jin Park |
35-35 |
-- |
70
|
| Paul Azinger |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Frank Lickliter II |
35-35 |
-- |
70
|
| Matt Kuchar |
34-36 |
-- |
70
|
| Stephen Ames |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Paul Goydos |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Olin Browne |
37-33 |
-- |
70
|
| Robert Allenby |
34-36 |
-- |
70
|
| Bubba Watson |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Bryce Molder |
36-34 |
-- |
70
|
| Liang Wen-chong |
35-35 |
-- |
70
|
| Brian Davis |
36-35 |
-- |
71
|
| Patrick Sheehan |
34-37 |
-- |
71
|
| Billy Mayfair |
39-32 |
-- |
71
|
| Brenden Pappas |
37-34 |
-- |
71
|
| Jonathan Byrd |
35-36 |
-- |
71
|
| Shane Bertsch |
35-36 |
-- |
71
|
| Cody Freeman |
38-33 |
-- |
71
|
| Keiichiro Fukabori |
35-36 |
-- |
71
|
| Brad Elder |
34-37 |
-- |
71
|
| Jim McGovern |
38-33 |
-- |
71
|
| Steve Stricker |
38-33 |
-- |
71
|
| Dean Wilson |
35-36 |
-- |
71
|
| Nicholas Thompson |
36-35 |
-- |
71
|
| Omar Uresti |
38-34 |
-- |
72
|
| John Daly |
35-37 |
-- |
72
|
| Steve Flesch |
37-35 |
-- |
72
|
| Alex Ching |
35-37 |
-- |
72
|
| Jonathan Kaye |
39-33 |
-- |
72
|
| Carlos Franco |
36-36 |
-- |
72
|
| Mark Wilson |
35-37 |
-- |
72
|
| Eric Axley |
36-36 |
-- |
72
|
| John Senden |
36-36 |
-- |
72
|
| Bo Van Pelt |
37-35 |
-- |
72
|
| John Huston |
36-37 |
-- |
73
|
| Jeff Sluman |
36-37 |
-- |
73
|
| Ron Whittaker |
37-36 |
-- |
73
|
| Justin Bolli |
37-36 |
-- |
73
|
| Parker McLachlin |
34-39 |
-- |
73
|
| Jason Day |
37-36 |
-- |
73
|
| Nick Flanagan |
38-35 |
-- |
73
|
| Jeff Quinney |
40-33 |
-- |
73
|
| Peter Lonard |
36-37 |
-- |
73
|
| Marc Turnesa |
39-34 |
-- |
73
|
| Tommy Gainey |
38-35 |
-- |
73
|
| Tag Ridings |
37-37 |
-- |
74
|
| David Lutterus |
38-36 |
-- |
74
|
| Tadd Fujikawa |
40-34 |
-- |
74
|
| Tom Scherrer |
38-36 |
-- |
74
|
| Shaun Micheel |
38-36 |
-- |
74
|
| Bill Haas |
35-39 |
-- |
74
|
| Michael Letzig |
39-35 |
-- |
74
|
| Kaname Yokoo |
38-37 |
-- |
75
|
| Kevin Hayashi |
44-37 |
-- |
81 |
![[chart]](art1chart_large.jpg)
