Justin Thomas opens Sony Open in Hawaii with 59

Your browser does not support iframes.

Justin Thomas shot the eighth round of sub-60 in PGA Tour history on Thursday, shooting 11-under 59 in the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.

For anyone who thought last week’s winner of the SBS Tournament of Champions was due for a post-victory letdown, they were wrong.

Thomas came to his final hole of the first round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at 9 under on the day. With a birdie on the second of the two par 5s he’d see on the round, he could top the course record he already had a share of from two years ago. After finding the fairway bunker with his tee shot, Thomas smashed his 207-yard second shot to 15 feet from the hole for an eagle that would give him a 59.

“I was so bummed when that tee shot went in the bunker,” he said. “I thought it was going to be good. I got up there and had a perfect lie, and I’m like, you know what am I going to do, lay up? And if it comes off, great, and if not, whatever.”

Justin Thomas is the latest member of the Sub-60 Club (Getty Images)

Then, Thomas, who already has two PGA Tour wins on this young season, finished the job to make the 3 that sent the crowd — and playing partner Jordan Spieth — into a frenzy.

“I wasn’t thinking a lot. I was just really more focused on trying to make the putt,” Thomas said afterward. “Obviously I knew what it meant if I made it, and that was the first time I had a putt at 359. I was like, well, who knows when this is going to happen again, I may as well try and knock it in. I hit a great putt.”

Even had he needed two putts for a closing birdie, Thomas still would’ve taken sole possession of the Waialae Country Club course record, of which he’s had a share with a 61 in this event in 2015.

The 23-year-old Alabama product finished the morning session five clear of five players with the next-best score of 64. For his part, Spieth shot 65.

Jim Furyk still holds the PGA Tour record for lowest single round with the 12-under 58 he shot in the final round of the 2016 Travelers Championship in Connecticut. The first sub-60 round in PGA Tour history was shot 40 years ago when Al Geiberger first shot 59 at the Danny Thomas Memphis Classic.

Ryan Ballengee is a Yahoo Sports contributor. Find him on Facebook and Twitter.

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo Sports