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.”

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.

Devil Ball Golf – Golf – Yahoo Sports

Other Related Posts: