Theegala leads season opener at Kapalua with 64. Morikawa hits opening tee shot packed with emotion
Sahith Theegala is the leader at Kapalua after the first round of the year at The Sentry
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Sahith Theegala made six straight birdies to start the back nine and finished with one last birdie for a 9-under 64 and a one-shot lead in The Sentry as the PGA Tour season began Thursday with beautiful views on the horizon and on scorecards.
The largest field in Kapalua — 59 players consisting of PGA Tour winners and the top 50 in the FedEx Cup — had little trouble on a Plantation course with only a mild breeze and fast fairways.
Collin Morikawa was among those at 65, starting with what he considers one of the most emotional opening tee shots he has ever hit.
The two-time major champion has a strong connection to Maui through his grandparents, who were born in Lahaina and long ago ran a restaurant. He was moved deeply by the deadly fires in August that killed 100 people and leveled a historic town.
