Hawaii News Archive - Starbulletin.com

6 clog top of Sony leaderboard

POSTED: Friday, January 15, 2010

About the time Troy Merritt was getting comfortable in his crib, Davis Love III was earning his PGA Tour card.

A quarter-century later, the talented twosome are part of a six-man contingent tied for the lead at 5-under 65 entering today's second round of the $5.5 million Sony Open in Hawaii. Defending champion Zach Johnson—paired with Love—Ryan Palmer, John Merrick and Robert Allenby make up the other parts of this diverse group that typifies the first full-field event on tour.

High winds greeted the golfers going off early yesterday on the tricky Waialae Country Club course. Four of the six leaders were among the early groups, with Allenby and Merrick the only ones among the afternoon pairings able to decipher the breezes that began the day due north, but shifted to trades in the early afternoon.

World No. 3 Steve Stricker overcame a 2-over start to close with a 4-under 66 that left him tied for seventh with nine other golfers, including Masters champion Angel Cabrera and 50-year-old Tom Lehman. In all, 45 golfers are in the 60s, including University of Hawaii sophomore T.J. Kua, who is the lone amateur in the field. He birdied two of his last three holes to finish in red figures.

This week's event is a good mixture of crusty veterans and new kids on the block. Merritt, who attended Boise State and qualified for the tour in December by winning Q-school, has only played the course twice.

LEADERBOARD

Through the first round at Waialae Country Club, par 70:

Player	Score	To par
Ryan Palmer	31-34—65	-5
Zach Johnson	34-31—65	-5
Davis Love III	32-33—65	-5
Troy Merritt	32-33—65	-5
Robert Allenby	34-31—65	-5
John Merrick	32-33—65	-5

Love couldn't count how many rounds he has here, but suffice to say it's more than two. The 60 he shot 15 years ago is still the course record.

Love began his new year with birdies on the first two holes en route to a bogey-free round. Merritt had a square on his scorecard with a bogey-5 at the par-4 13th, but he more than erased that rare error with six birdies. Playing beyond his years, Merritt's practice round on Tuesday was all he needed to decipher the par-70 course.

“;I was pretty nervous on the first tee,”; Merritt said. “;I always have a few nerves on the first tee, but it was a little bit different this time. My heart was in my throat. I was able to hit one right down the middle.”;

More importantly, he rolled in the 7-footer for par. He carded birdies at Nos. 3, 5 and 9 on the front and at Nos. 10, 11 and 18 on the back. His swing got a little loose, starting with the bogey at 13, and lasting through 16. But instead of going 3 over in that stretch, Merritt held it together to share the lead in his first event as a full-fledged tour member.

“;You know my fiancee asked me what do you want to accomplish (in the opening round),”; Merritt said. “;I said I would be ecstatic if I could go out and shoot 3-under par. I wasn't really thinking about that today, but that's what I told her and things went way better than I thought they could have gone today. I'm happy with it.”;

You won't find any frown furrowing Johnson's brow. After a slow start that left him 1 over for his round after his opening seven holes, he birdied the last two on the front nine and four on the back to pick up right where he left off last year.

“;I'm trying to forget about those results from last year,”; Johnson said. “;But I'm trying to remember the positive vibes, if you will—some of the feelings that I had with my shots. So, yes, there were some similarities in that regard. But if I dwell in the past too much, I usually start to back up in the wrong direction.”;

A couple of times Allenby headed in the wrong direction, thanks in part to a nasty ankle sprain he suffered Monday. But he overcame it with his best round since the Sony began in 1999.

“;My putting was the best part of my day,”; Allenby said. “;It's the same as I left off last year. I don't know if you want to talk about that, but the end of last year was a good way to finish with a couple of wins.”;

Palmer and Merrick are also in the mix. Both mastered the winds that began hard from the north when Palmer was on the course, but had switched to the normal tradewind flow by the time Merrick teed it up.

“;It was blowing pretty hard right up to the last hole,”; Merrick said.

Sony Open scores

At Waialae Country Club

Purse: $5.5 million

First Round

Note: Tom Gillis failed to complete first round due to darkness

Ryan Palmer	31-34	—	65
Zach Johnson	34-31	—	65
Davis Love III	32-33	—	65
Troy Merritt	32-33	—	65
Robert Allenby	34-31	—	65
John Merrick	32-33	—	65
Jeff Quinney	33-33	—	66
Carl Pettersson	34-32	—	66
Pat Perez	34-32	—	66
Angel Cabrera	34-32	—	66
Shane Bertsch	33-33	—	66
Tom Lehman	32-34	—	66
Steve Stricker	35-31	—	66
Brian Stuard	32-34	—	66
Roger Tambellini	33-33	—	66
Martin Flores	32-34	—	66
Ricky Barnes	34-33	—	67
Michael Allen	35-32	—	67
Troy Matteson	34-33	—	67
Chad Campbell	37-31	—	68
Stewart Cink	32-36	—	68
Sean O'Hair	34-34	—	68
Stephen Ames	37-31	—	68
Bob Estes	36-32	—	68
WC Liang	34-34	—	68
Ryuji Imada	36-32	—	68
Brian Gay	34-34	—	68
Rory Sabbatini	34-34	—	68
Mark Wilson	34-34	—	68
Ryuichi Oda	34-34	—	68
Kevin Johnson	35-33	—	68
Jason Dufner	36-33	—	69
Briny Baird	37-32	—	69
Bubba Watson	35-34	—	69
Chris Tidland	34-35	—	69
Chad Collins	34-35	—	69
Marc Leishman	33-36	—	69
Joe Ogilvie	34-35	—	69
Ernie Els	35-34	—	69
Vijay Singh	34-35	—	69
Retief Goosen	36-33	—	69
Graham DeLaet	32-37	—	69
Blake Adams	35-34	—	69
Spencer Levin	34-35	—	69
T.J. Kua	35-34	—	69
John Rollins	35-35	—	70
Y.E. Yang	32-38	—	70
Matt Kuchar	36-34	—	70
Justin Leonard	36-34	—	70
Woody Austin	34-36	—	70
Chris Baryla	34-36	—	70
Aaron Goldberg	34-36	—	70
Fredrik Jacobson	37-33	—	70
Ben Curtis	36-34	—	70
Chez Reavie	35-35	—	70
David Toms	34-36	—	70
Dustin Johnson	37-33	—	70
Omar Uresti	37-33	—	70
Brian Davis	36-34	—	70
Jeff Klauk	36-34	—	70
Rich Barcelo	34-36	—	70
Matt Bettencourt	32-39	—	71
Corey Pavin	36-35	—	71
Bryce Molder	36-35	—	71
Boo Weekley	35-36	—	71
Nathan Green	34-37	—	71
Richard S. Johnson	34-37	—	71
Jim Carter	35-36	—	71
Jerod Turner	34-37	—	71
Matt Jones	37-34	—	71
Chris Wilson	36-35	—	71
Roland Thatcher	34-37	—	71
Dean Wilson	36-35	—	71
Webb Simpson	36-35	—	71
Tim Clark	35-36	—	71
Mark Calcavecchia	36-35	—	71
K.J. Choi	35-36	—	71
Nick O'Hern	37-34	—	71
Daisuke Maruyama	37-34	—	71
Josh Teater	37-34	—	71
Cameron Tringale	36-35	—	71
Henrik Bjornstad	37-34	—	71
Nick Mason	38-33	—	71
George McNeill	39-33	—	72
Jeff Gove	37-35	—	72
Parker McLachlin	35-37	—	72
D.J. Trahan	34-38	—	72
Stuart Appleby	36-36	—	72
Tim Petrovic	34-38	—	72
Steve Wheatcroft	35-37	—	72
Cameron Percy	35-37	—	72
Tadd Fujikawa	37-35	—	72
Ted Purdy	36-36	—	72
Justin Rose	37-35	—	72
Paul Goydos	36-36	—	72
Cameron Beckman	35-37	—	72
Greg Kraft	38-34	—	72
Bo Van Pelt	35-37	—	72
Brenden Pappas	35-37	—	72
Brendon de Jonge	35-37	—	72
John Huston	34-39	—	73
Jay Williamson	38-35	—	73
Bill Haas	37-36	—	73
Charlie Wi	38-35	—	73
Daniel Chopra	39-34	—	73
Mathias Gronberg	38-35	—	73
Michael Letzig	36-37	—	73
John Daly	37-36	—	73
Kevin Na	35-38	—	73
Derek Lamely	35-38	—	73
David Lutterus	34-39	—	73
Brett Quigley	39-34	—	73
Johnson Wagner	35-38	—	73
Charles Howell III	36-37	—	73
Jeff Maggert	38-35	—	73
Jason Day	35-38	—	73
Scott Piercy	39-34	—	73
Kris Blanks	37-36	—	73
Chris Riley	39-35	—	74
Jerry Kelly	38-36	—	74
Alex Prugh	36-38	—	74
Luke Donald	39-35	—	74
Kevin Hayashi	38-36	—	74
Jesper Parnevik	41-34	—	75
Rich Beem	37-38	—	75
Brad Faxon	38-37	—	75
Lucas Glover	35-40	—	75
Jonathan Byrd	38-37	—	75
Rickie Fowler	40-35	—	75
Garth Mulroy	39-36	—	75
Scott McCarron	41-34	—	75
Shigeki Maruyama	38-37	—	75
Jimmy Walker	38-37	—	75
Jeff Overton	37-38	—	75
Harrison Frazar	40-36	—	76
Justin Bolli	39-37	—	76
Billy Horschel	36-40	—	76
Kaname Yokoo	37-39	—	76
D.A. Points	39-38	—	77
Tim Wilkinson	37-40	—	77
Steve Lowery	41-36	—	77
Marc Turnesa	40-37	—	77
Nicholas Thompson	42-37	—	79
Tom Gillis	DNF (darkness)