Defending champion Nick Taylor was sharp with his irons and handled the par 3s at Waialae Country Club for an 8-under 62, giving him an early share of the lead Thursday with Kevin Roy as the PGA Tour season started at the Sony Open.
This is the latest start to the tour season because The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled due to water issues. The Sony attracted a strong field, with four of the top 10 in the world.
Taylor, who won last year in a playoff, made birdie on three of the par 3s and his best shot was to the top shelf on the difficult par-3 fourth, leaving a 25-footer he narrowly missed.
The Canadian was pleased, though not surprised with his game despite this being the first event of the year. He played just enough in the offseason to stay sharp and still get rest, playing only in Mexico and then the Nedbank Challenge in South Africa.