Sony Open in Hawaii Round 1

Defending champion Nick Taylor showed no signs of rust as he opened his title defense with a spectacular 8-under-par 62. Taylor was clinical with his irons, birdying three of the course's four par-3s and navigating the morning calm to set the early pace. He was joined at the top of the leaderboard by Kevin Roy, who surged through his opening 11 holes with seven birdies before cooling off, eventually matching Taylor’s 62 with a steady finish. Behind the leaders, the leaderboard remained crowded with a mix of established stars and rising talent. Chris Gotterup, the reigning Scottish Open champion, sat just one stroke back after an aggressive 63, a round that proved critical for his eventual victory later in the week. He shared that third-place spot with S.H. Kim, who provided late-afternoon fireworks by birdying his final three holes. Jordan Spieth also drew large galleries, turning in a respectable 68 despite a self-admitted tactical error regarding a late-round club change. While the morning wave dominated the scoring, the resilience of the afternoon players set the stage for a highly competitive weekend in Honolulu.