DEFENDING champion Nick Taylor delivered a crisp iron display and mastered the par 3s at Waialae Country Club, firing an eight-under 62 on Thursday (Friday, Jan. 16, 2026, PH time) to share the opening-round lead with Kevin Roy as the PGA Tour season got underway at the Sony Open.
The Sony Open marked the latest start to a tour season after The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled because of water issues, according to an Associated Press report. Despite that, the event drew a strong field that included four of the world’s top 10 players.
Taylor, who won last year’s tournament in a playoff, benefited from calm conditions as an early starter, with the wind not picking up until the afternoon. Only four of the top 16 players on the leaderboard teed off late in the day.
“I think we got lucky with the forecast this morning. I expected some more wind,” Taylor said. “A lot of the wind is going with the dogleg, so it felt like some of the tee shots maybe weren’t as challenging. I hit it great, but this course fits my eye.”
The Canadian birdied three of the four par 3s, and even the lone par 3 where he didn’t pick up a shot featured what he considered his best swing of the round. Taylor flushed a 4-iron to the top tier of the green on the difficult fourth hole, narrowly missing a 25-foot birdie attempt.
Taylor said he was pleased, but not surprised, with his form despite it being his first event of the year. He limited his offseason schedule to a few starts, including tournaments in Mexico and South Africa, allowing him to stay sharp while still getting adequate rest.
Roy matched Taylor at 62, opening with seven birdies over his first 11 holes before closing with another birdie on the par-5 18th.
S.H. Kim, who played in the tougher afternoon conditions, finished with a bogey-free 67 after birdieing his final three holes. He was grouped with Ben Griffin, coming off a three-win season and a Ryder Cup debut, and Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup.
Vijay Singh, the 62-year-old Hall of Famer competing on a one-time career money exemption, overcame two double bogeys to post a 68. Jordan Spieth also shot a 68, mixing six birdies with four bogeys and pointing to a late equipment change that he estimated cost him about 2 1/2 shots.
Spieth swapped his hybrid for a 3-iron and later questioned the decision. “The problem is I had four months to get ready for this week,” Spieth said, explaining he tested multiple 3-irons before settling on one he hadn’t played much. “I think I’m going to go back to the hybrid.”
Robert MacIntyre of Scotland and Adam Scott finished at 67. Scott endured a bizarre moment on the par-5 ninth when his tee shot struck the net lining the driving range and settled just inches outside the out-of-bounds stakes. Forced to return to the tee, he hit a 6-iron to four feet and salvaged par.
Scott, traveling from Australia, said Waialae remains one of his favorite stops and fit conveniently into his schedule before heading to California.
There is also a sense around the tournament that this could be the final Sony Open as the PGA Tour prepares to overhaul its schedule. / LBG