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PGA Tour: Henley leads at SONY Open

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HONOLULU – With his personal-best opening 36-hole score (125), the 2013 Sony Open in Hawaii champion Russell Henley carded the lowest opening 36-hole score on Tour since Justin Thomas opened with (123) en route to winning the 2017 Sony Open.

Henley recorded his fifth round of (63) or better at the to tie Matt Kuchar for most since 1983. This weeks cutline equaled the lowest cut in Sony Open history (5-under/1998)

World No. 1 amateur Keita Nakajima became the first amateur to make the cut at the Sony Open since 2015.

Two players are bogey-free through 36 holes: 2019 Sony Open champion: Kuchar and Corey Conners while Charles Howell III made the cut for the 21st time in as many attempts at this event.

Defending champion and first-round leader Kevin Na dropped to T-16 following a mediocre round of 1-over (71) while last weeks Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Cameron Smith missed the cut.

SONY Open Leaderboard – After Round Two

Russell Henley – 62-63—125 (-15)

Haotong Li – 63-65—128 (-12)

Matt Kuchar – 64-65—129 (-11)

Michael Thompson – 63-67—130 (-10)

PGA Tour: “61” is the Magic Number

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HONOLULU – Sixty-one has been the magic number in the State of Hawaii. Last week at the Sentry, Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm and Matt Jones each carded a Kapalua course record (61) and Kevin Na posted a career-best (61) to take an opening round lead at the SONY Open.

Na leads all PGA Tour players for most rounds of 62 or better since hole-by-hole tracking began in 1983. He has (11) such rounds. Na also leads the field in Driving Accuracy as the only player to hit all 14 fairways in round one to mark the eighth time in his career he hit every fairway in a round.

The defending champion here at the SONY, Na is seeking to become the the first player to successfully defend a tournament title since Viktor Hovland at the 2020-21 World Wide Technology Championship at Mayakoba.

Jim Furyk’s (62) marks his lowest opening round on Tour and lowest round since his (58) in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship, the PGA Tour record for low 18-hole score. Furyk won the 1996 Sony Open in Hawaii which was his second of 17 PGA TOUR victories. He was 25 years, 9 months and 6 days when he won in 1996. He’s 51 now.

SONY Open Leaderboard – After Round One

Kevin Na 61 (-9)

Jim Furyk 62 (-8)

Russell Henley 62 (-8)

Five players 63 (-7)

PGA Tour: SONY Open in Hawaii Preview

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The SONY Open in Hawaii

Honolulu, Hawaii – As the PGA Tour island-hops from Maui to Oahu for this week’s SONY Open in Hawaii, the early week focus has been on the passing of Tim Rosaforte, the popular Golf TV commentator and most accomplished reporters. Rosaforte passed away at the young age of 66 from an aggressive form of Alzheimer’s disease.

On the links, the question at the SONY Open is always whether the players who competed at the year-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions have an edge at this tournament. Aside from adjusting to the Hawaiian Islands time zone, the other key difference is the full field of PGA Tour pros vs the relatively calm group of 37 champions who competed last weekend.

Australia’s Cameron Smith took the honors at Kapalua, outlasting the birdie-making machine of Jon Rahm. Rahm is passing on competing this week.

Reigning champion Kevin Na shot all four rounds in the 60s last week but finished 13th in the ultra-competitive event. Last year here at Waialae Country Club, Na posted a third-round (61) to make the difference for his $1,188,000 take home, beating the T-2s of Chris Kirk and Joaquin Neimann by a stroke.

Preview | SONY Open in Hawaii

COURSE: Waialae Country Club – (Honolulu, Hawaii)

ARCHITECT: Seth Raynor

YARDS/PAR: 7,044 yards/Par 70

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $7,500,000/$1,350,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Kevin Na

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points / to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @SONYOpenHawaii

OFFICIAL SITE: (SONY Open)

TV COVERAGE: Primetime Golf for the second week in a row. Not a bad thing. On Thursday, January 13 and Friday, January 14: TV coverage goes from 7:00pm to 10:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel.

On Saturday, January 15, Round 3 coverage 7:00pm to 10:30pm (ET) on Golf Channel. On Sunday, January 16: With NFL Playoff wild Card weekend, the PGA Tour will be on Golf Channel from 6:00pm to 10:00pm (ET)

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will be featured on ESPN-Plus for the second week, starting Thursday at 12:00pm Noon (ET) and continuing through 10:30pm (ET) with Featured Hole and Featured Groups.

On Saturday, ESPN+ will stream coverage at 12:00pm Noon to 10:30pm (ET). On Sunday, ESPN+ coverage is online at 4:00pm ET and 10:00pm ET.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the The SONY Open with Thursday and Friday broadcasts from 5:00pm to 10:30pm (ET). Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 5:00pm to 10:30pm on Saturday and from 5:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) on Sunday. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATour(dot)com.

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)

The Basics:

The SONY Open Tee Times start Thursday at 7:10am (local)/12:10pm (ET) and going to 1:40pm (local)/6:40pm (ET).

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies. Temperature 75-degrees, but humidity 70% with winds 10 mph. Good weather (partly cloudy/sunny and low winds are expected all weekend. A 10% chance of rain. (link)

PGATourBrunch will post at Noon (ET) on Thursday.

Next Week: the American Express (LaQuinta)  – back to the Mainland (link)

Smith Takes PGA Tourney of Champs

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Sentry Tournament of Champions – PGA Tour Wrap-Up

Cameron Smith won the 2022 Sentry Tournament of Champions by one stroke over World No. 1 Jon Rahm, Smith’s fourth PGA Tour victory in his 157th start.

Rahm finished runner-up for the eighth time in his 114th start and equaled the Tour record for most birdies (32) in a 72-hole event, tying Paul Gow (2001 B.C. Open) and Mark Calcavecchia (2001 Waste Management Phoenix Open)

Matt Jones (3rd) tied the 18-hole tournament scoring record with Sunday’s 12-under (61) and records the lowest 36-hole score to par (23-under) in consecutive rounds in TOUR history. Rahm and Justin Thomas had set course record (61) on Saturday.

Defending champion Harris English finished T-30, extending the lack of repeat winners at Kapalua. The last repeat winner of the event was Geoff Ogilvy (2010).

Sentry Tournament of Champions Final Leaderboard

Cameron Smith – 65-64-64-65—258 (-34)

Jon Rahm – 66-66-61-66—259 (-33)

Matt Jones – 70-67-62-61—260 (-32)

Patrick Cantlay – 66-67-66-67—266 (-26)

Sentry Tournament of Champions: Final

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The Sentry Tournament of Champions: Final Round

Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii – Scoring conditions are off the charts at The Plantation Course, here at Kapalua. The reason? Low winds and great players, great even after the PGA TOUR holiday break.

At 26-under, Cameron Smith and Jon Rahm turned-in the second-lowest opening 54-hole score to par in PGA Tour history (Patrick Reed/27-under/2014 The American Express). Smith and Rahm set the Sentry Tournament of Champions 54-hole record at 26-under 193 (194/Ernie Els/2003).

Meanwhile, Rahm and two-time Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Justin Thomas each set the tournament record with matching 12-under (61s).

The third-round scoring average (67.711) was the lowest in a single round since the event moved to The Plantation Course in 1999.

A purse of $8,200,000 is on the line today with $1,476,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points going to the winner.

Tee times today at 7:50am (local)/12:50pm (ET) with the leaders at 10:55am (local)/3:55pm (ET).

Leaderboard After Round 3:

Cameron Smith 65-64-64 – 193 (-26)

Jon Rahm 66-66-61 – 193 (-26)

Daniel Berger 66-66-66 – 198 (-21)

The Basics:

Weather: The forecast for today calls for sunny skies. Temperatures ranging from 72-79 degrees, with a 2% chance of rain. (link)

PGATourBrunch will post a recap of the Sentry TofC at Noon (ET) Monday.

Later This Week: SONY Open in Hawaii  – The Tour stays in Hawaii (link)

Suscriptions: Feel free to forward this edition of PGA Tour Brunch to your friends and/or family who love pro golf. Through January 15th, we’re offering a New Year’s Discount.

Primetime, Weekend Play at Sentry Tournament of Champions

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Kapalua, Maui, Hawaii – Cameron Smith equaled the Sentry Tournament of Champions 36-hole record (129) and holds second-round lead/co-lead for the second time in career at a tour stroke-play event. He’s 0-for-1 to date in the effort to hold lead.

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Smith shot a nine-under (64) after posting a (65) on Thursday and has a three stroke lead over World No. 1 Jon Rahm and Daniel Berger (132/ (-14).

Smith (Australia) and Rahm (Spain), who will play together today in the final group, are among four international players in the Top 6 at the Tournament of Champions. Four-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger (T-2) of USA trails by three after matching 7-under (66s) in the first two rounds.

With low winds (6-12 mph), the second round scoring average (67.816) was the lowest since the event moved to the Plantation Course at Kapalua in 1999. Due to wet conditions, preferred lies were in effect for both the first and second rounds.

Leaderboard After Round 2:

Cameron Smith 65-64 – 129 (-17)

Jon Rahm 66-66 – 132 (-14)

Daniel Berger 66-66 – 132 (-14)

Patrick Cantlay 66-67 – 133 (-13)

Suscriptions: Feel free to recommend PGA Tour Brunch to your friends and/or family who love pro golf. Through January 15th, we’re offering a New Year’s Discount.

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The Tour: Cameron Smith Leads in Maui

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Kapalua, Hawaii – Cameron Smith shot an 8-under (65), three strokes off the course record and holds a one-stroke lead over reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay, World No. 1 Jon Rahm and four-time PGA Tour winner Daniel Berger.

Smith carded his third-ever opening-round lead/co-lead on Tour but is 0-for-2 to date.

FedEx Cup points leader, Talor Gooch, posted 5-under 68 in tournament debut. Gooch and nine other players in the Sentry field are making their Tournament of Champions debut.

Daniel Berger (T-2) opened with a score of 7-under (66) or better for the first time in his PGA TOUR career while 1994 and 1998 Sentry Tournament of Champions winner Phil Mickelson (T-25) posted 2-under (71) in first Kapalua start since 2001.

Justin Thomas (T-36) carded an opening-round (740, just his third over-par score in 25 rounds in the event (R2/R3/2018).

Due to wet conditions, preferred lies were in effect for the first round.

Leaderboard After Round 1:

Cameron Smith 65 (-8)

Daniel Berger 66 (-7)

Jon Rahm 66 (-7)

Patrick Cantlay 66 (-7)

PGA Tour Opens 2022 Season in Maui

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Kapalua, Hawaii – The PGA Tour season resumes with the Sentry Tournament of Champions. The first event of 2022 comes after a six week break on the schedule for the holidays and some silly season activities. PGA Tour event winners from the 2021 calendar year along with 2020 Olympic gold medalist Xander Schauffele will tee-it-up at Kapalua (in Maui) today.

The field includes reigning FedExCup Champion Patrick Cantlay (making season debut), World Nos. 1 and 2 Jon Rahm and Collin Morikawa, and current FedEx Cup points leader Talor Gooch. In addition, 2021 PGA Championship winner Phil Mickelson will make his first start in the Sentry Tournament of Champions since 2001 (T28). All four major champions are represented this week.

Watch the Birdie: The par-5 fifth hole at Kapalua was the easiest hole on the PGA Tour last season relative to par, with an average score of 4.095 (-0.905) and had the lowest average score relative to par of any hole on TOUR since the 2005 FUNAI Classic at the Walt Disney World Resort.

Ten players in the Sentry field are making their Tournament of Champions debut.

The Basics:

With the limited field and the time zone adjustment to Hawaii, the Sentry Tee Times start today at 9:40am (local)/2:40pm (ET) and going to 12:45pm (local)/5:45pm (ET).

Cameron Champ withdrew from the Sentry after testing positive for COVID-19, the Tour announced Tuesday.

Weather: Today’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies. Temperature 74-degrees, but humidity 75% with winds 13 mph NE. (link)

PGATourBrunch will post at Noon (ET) Friday.

Next Week: SONY Open in Hawaii  – The Tour stays in Hawaii (link)

Sentry Tournament of Champions

COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua – (Maui, Hawaii)

ARCHITECTS: Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw

YARDS/PAR: 7,596 yards/Par 73

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,200,000/$1,476,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Harris English

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points / to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @Sentry_TOC

OFFICIAL SITE: (Sentry TofC)

TV COVERAGE:  This evening, January 6, and Friday, January 7: TV coverage goes from 6:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel.

On Saturday, January 8, Round 3 coverage 6:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. On Sunday, January 9: NBC opens final round coverage 4:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) and Golf Channel wraps it up from 6:00pm to 8:00pm (ET)

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will now be featured on ESPN-Plus, starting today at 3:15pm (ET) and continuing at 6:00pm (ET) with Featured Hole and Featured Groups. On Saturday, ESPN+ will stream coverage at 3:15am and 6:00pm (ET). On Sunday, ESPN+coverage is online at 1:30pm ET and 4:00pm ET.

Here’s the Scoop: (From official news release) – ESPN+ and PGA TOUR provided details for the inaugural season of PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, with extended and expanded coverage that more than triples the total coverage – adding more than 3,200 new hours of live streaming available for a total of more than 4,300 exclusive hours. All PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ coverage will be available to ESPN+’s more than 17.1 million subscribers.

In 2022, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will include live coverage of 35 tournaments – from the Tour’s Hawaii events this month – all the way through the FedExCup Playoffs and into the Fall – with at least 28 events having four full days of coverage and four simultaneous live feeds each day.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the The Sentry with broadcasts from 4:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) today and Friday. Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 5:00pm to 10:00pm and from 3:00pm to 8:00pm (ET) on Sunday. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via PGATour(dot)com.

On This Day in Golf History:

January 6, 1950 – Eleven months after nearly being killed in a head-on collision with a Greyhound bus, Ben Hogan returned to tournament golf when he teed-off at the Los Angeles Open. The Los Angeles Times reported that 9,000 fans were in the gallery to watch Hogan shoot a two-over par 73 in R-1. After 72 holes, Hogan lost in a playoff to Sam Snead. – Courtesy of Randy Walker, Author of On This Day in Golf History, available via Amazon.com and by clicking HERE

PGA Tour Brunch: The Sentry

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Preview | Sentry Tournament of Champions

COURSE: Plantation Course at Kapalua – (Maui, Hawaii)

ARCHITECTS: Bill Coore / Ben Crenshaw

YARDS/PAR: 7,596 yards/Par 73

PRIZE Money/First Place Winnings: $8,200,000/$1,476,000

DEFENDING CHAMPION: Harris English

PAST RESULTS: (link)

PAST CHAMPIONS: (link)

FEDEx CUP Points / to Winner: 500

SOCIAL MEDIA: #PGATour #FedExCup @Sentry_TOC

OFFICIAL SITE: (Sentry TofC)

TV COVERAGE: Nothing wrong with a little Primetime Golf to start the year off right. On Thursday, January 6 and Friday, January 7: TV coverage goes from 6:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel.

On Saturday, January 8, Round 3 coverage 6:00pm to 10:00pm (ET) on Golf Channel. On Sunday, January 9: NBC opens final round coverage 4:00pm to 6:00pm (ET) and Golf Channel wraps it up from 6:00pm to 8:00pm (ET)

PGA TOUR LIVE STREAMING on ESPN+: Streaming coverage will now be featured on ESPN-Plus, starting Thursday at 3:15pm (ET) and continuing at 6:00pm (ET) with Featured Hole and Featured Groups.

On Saturday, ESPN+ will stream coverage at 3:15am and 6:00pm (ET). On Sunday, ESPN+ coverage is online at 1:30pm ET and 4:00pm ET.

Here’s the Scoop: (From official news release) – ESPN+ and PGA TOUR provided details for the inaugural season of PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+, with extended and expanded coverage that more than triples the total coverage – adding more than 3,200 new hours of live streaming available for a total of more than 4,300 exclusive hours. All PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ coverage will be available to ESPN+’s more than 17.1 million subscribers.

In 2022, PGA TOUR LIVE on ESPN+ will include live coverage of 35 tournaments – from the Tour’s Hawaii events this month – all the way through the FedExCup Playoffs and into the Fall – with at least 28 events having four full days of coverage and four simultaneous live feeds each day.

PGA TOUR RADIO COVERAGE: SiriusXM Radio will have live radio coverage of the The Sentry with Thursday and Friday broadcasts from 4:00pm to 10:00pm (ET). Weekend coverage on Sirius XM Radio runs from 5:00pm to 10:00pm and from 3:00pm to 8:00pm (ET) on Sunday. PGA Tour Radio is available on Sirius 208/XM 92 or online via pGATour(dot)com.

How to Watch: In case of changes, visit: (PGATourCom)

The Sentry Tournament of Champions

Kapalua, Hawaii – Thirty-seven PGA Tour champions and Tokyo Olympic Games gold medalist Xander Schauffele will tee-it-up for the first tour event of 2022. The backdrop is one of the most beautiful places on earth in Kapalua (Maui) Hawaii, the longtime host course for the Tournament of Champions.

In 2021, the Plantation Course at Kapalua was voted the No. 1 course in Hawaii for the 15th time by Golfweek. This season (2022) marks the 30th anniversary of Kapalua Golf’s Plantation Course as the iconic Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw design first opened for play in 1992. Designed on a grand scale, the 7,596-yard, par 73 Plantatio Course plays along the slopes of the West Maui Mountains boasting dramatic ocean views from virtually every hole. The perennial Top 100 Course(in the world) underwent a well-documented restoration in 2019 which focused on recapturing the essence and playing characteristics of the (then) nearly three decade-old course. During the 2019 restoration/refinement project, enhancements were made to the Plantation Course, including new bunkers; new Celebration Bermuda Turf on tees, fairways and roughs; and rebuilt and resurfaced green complexes. The overall Plantation Course layout and routing remained the same.

The course record is (62) held by K.J. Choi in 2003, Graeme McDowell in 2011, Jason Day and Chris Kirk in 2015, and Xander Schauffele in 2019 at this Tournament of Champions event.

Phil Mickelson will compete at the TofC for the first time since 2001 when he finished 28th in the 33-player field. With Mickelson, the 2021 PGA Champion, playing, all four of golf’s major champions will be at Kapalua, including Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, U.S. Open winner Jon Rahm and the winner of The Open, Collin Morikawa.

The Basics:

With the limited field of 38 and the time zone adjustment to Hawaii, the Sentry Tee Times start Thursday at 9:40am (local)/2:40pm (ET)and going to 12:45pm (local)/5:45pm (ET).

Cameron Champ withdrew from the Sentry event after testing positive for COVID-19, the Tour announced Tuesday.

Weather: Thursday’s forecast calls for mostly sunny skies. Temperature 74-degrees, but humidity 75% with winds 13 mph NE. (link)

PGATourBrunch will post at Noon (ET) on Thursday.

Next Week: SONY Open in Hawaii  – The Tour stays in Hawaii (link)

PGA TOUR Brunch online newsletter that post six-days-a-week with PGA Tour e-News to keep you fully informed, updated and help you navigate the world of professional golf. This e-News is designed to be mobile friendly, with a concise “few screens” and appropriate links, so you can follow the news when time permits – maybe over LUNCH or BRUNCH. PGA TOUR Brunch will provide weekly odds and trends for both Daily Fantasy, PGA Tour’s online Fantasy game and general sports book odds. Please subscribe for the complete e-Newsletter by visiting HERE.

PGA Tour: Matsuyama wins in Japan

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CHIBA, JAPAN – (Staff and Wire Services Report) – Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama shot a 5-under-par (65) and finished withan eagle on the final hole, to record a five-stroke win on Sunday in the ZOZO Championship. Matsuyama, the reigning Masters champion, finished at 15-under (270) to earn his first title on home soil at Narashino Country Club.

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It’s the seventh PGA title for the 29-year-old Japan native, who was coming off a disappointing finish at The CJ Cup @ Summit last week. He now trails K.J. Choi for most career PGA titles by an Asian player by one.

Matsuyama had an eagle and a bogey on the front nine, but found his groove on the back nine by picking up three birdies in five holes. After a bogey on No. 17, Matsuyama sent his second shot on the par 5 No. 18 to within 12 feet of the hole before nailing the eagle putt.

“It was one of my biggest goals to win in front of the Japanese fans here in this country as well,” said Matsuyama, who finished runner-up to Tiger Woods at the inaugural ZOZO Championship in 2019.

“Also, in 2019 Tiger won the Masters and went on to win the Zozo Championship, so I’m glad that I would be able to emulate that as well.”

Cameron Tringale, who started the day one shot behind Matsuyama and briefly led on Sunday, bogeyed the final two holes to finish at 1-under 69 and in a tie for second at 10-under 270 overall.

“To really slam the door and hit an incredible second shot (on 18) and hole the putt, it was storybook,” Tringale said of Matsuyama’s performance.

Fellow American Brendan Steele shared the second-place finish after shooting a 4-under 66, with two late bogeys offsetting six birdies.

Tringale has now finished runner-up four times while competing in his 314th start of his career.