In what might have been a letdown week for the PGA Tour, a celebrity emerged on the primary day of the Sony Open and shares the lead going into Friday’s second spherical.
Jordan Spieth shot a 64 at Honolulu’s Waialae Country Club on Thursday and is locked up with Chris Kirk and Taylor Montgomery atop the leaderboard, one forward of a gaggle of six different golfers after play was suspended on account of darkness. Though Spieth has received in Hawaii earlier than on the Tournament of Champions, he has by no means received this specific occasion. A win right here, nevertheless, might portend a monstrous 2023 for the three-time main winner.
Let’s check out his spherical alongside with what to anticipate the remainder of the week.
The leaders
T1. Jordan Spieth, Chris Kirk, Taylor Montgomery (-6): Warning: This goes to be a really Spieth-heavy article (for apparent causes). The good news for the Golden Child is that he is main a golf event. The dangerous news is that he practically wanted to lead the sector in placing to take action. Spieth practically had a wonderfully clear card Thursday solely sullying it with a bogey on the par-4 thirteenth gap. He mentioned after his spherical that the putter is beginning to really feel good once more.
“Half my putts today were like, ‘Wow, I knew exactly where that was going.’ Some of them went in and some of them didn’t, and the others I didn’t and I made some of them,” Spieth mentioned. “It’s simply — however I do know as soon as I get to a sure really feel via the ball that I can beat the sector. I will be No. 1 in strokes gained for the week as a result of I do know what that looks like.
“So I’m just trying to get that way. It’s getting there, and that’s exciting.”
The numbers agree. Spieth’s 50-round rolling common in strokes gained placing is above PGA Tour common (0.0 SG) for the primary time for the reason that Texas Open final 12 months.
I’m unsure Spieth has something to show to anybody provided that he is already received three majors and 13 instances earlier than turning 30. But a win right here and somewhat momentum rolling into an enormous time stretch of golf main into the Masters would definitely elevate him in my thoughts again to any individual who might feasibly be the No. 1 participant in the world by the top of the 12 months. An extended option to go, and he must hit it a bit higher than he did immediately, however one thing is definitely brewing.
Other contenders
T4. Harris English, Denny McCarthy, Brendon Todd, David Lipsky, Rory Sabbatini (-5)
T11. Stewart Cink, Ok.J. Choi, Cam Davis (-4)
We might speak about English (which we do beneath), however how about Cink and Choi (mixed age 101) in the combination at this occasion! Both shot 66s and each did it by gaining strokes in each statistical class, which is outstanding.
Also, Sabbatini’s scripting on Thursday was all-time.
Quote(s) of the day
Spieth had some gems after his 64. The first was about the place his sport is at in comparison with the place it has been in latest years.
“I believe I can shoot 5 or 6 under each day out here,” Spieth mentioned. “Not to say that that means it’ll happen, but there are other times I would be sitting there going, ‘How do I hold this shit together,’ to be honest. Seriously.”
I am unable to consider a greater option to sum up his total profession.
The second was a big-time flex following that quote about his sport and the revelation that he and his household not too long ago bought an RV to journey round to PGA Tour occasions.
Q: When was the final time you flew coach?
Spieth: “The 27th — oh, coach, sorry, no. … I thought you said commercial.”
Sure, certain, certain.
Harris English resurfaces
Harris English was out for a lot of 2022 with an harm, and it is clear that he is had a tough time bouncing again. In 15 begins since returning final June, English has only one high 10 end (the Fortinet Championship in September). His 65 in Round 1 marked simply the third time he’d gained a minimum of 4.4 strokes on the sector in a single spherical for the reason that summer season of 2021. English mentioned after his spherical that that is as near 100% as he is felt in a very long time so hopefully that is the beginning of a pleasant run for him in 2023.
2023 Sony Open up to date odds and picks
- Jordan Spieth: 4-1
- Taylor Montgomery: 8-1
- Harris English: 14-1
- Chris Kirk: 18-1
- Denny McCarthy: 20-1
- Cam Davis: 20-1
This is a troublesome board. I do not significantly love anyone on it, however in the event you made me select, I feel Davis at 20-1 is basically attention-grabbing. He’s simply two again and led the sector from tee to inexperienced on Thursday. An enormous time 12 months from him would not be a shock in any respect, and it’s extremely simple to check — even when his sport does not seemingly match Waialae completely — to check him beginning to roll this weekend.
Rick Gehman, Kyle Porter, and Patrick McDonald are joined by Robby Berger from Bob Does Sports. Rick Gehman and Kyle Porter recap Thursday’s motion on the Sony Open in Hawaii. Follow & hearken to The First Cut on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.
