New Island, new course, same big wind for Sony Open
HONOLULU — Same state, new island, two courses that could not be more different.
What hasn’t changed between the two-week Hawaii swing on the PGA Tour is the wind, which is stronger than usual. The gusts approached 65 km/h at Kapalua last week for the Sentry Tournament of Champions. It was blowing just as hard Wednesday at Waialae on the eve of the Sony Open.
“I’ve never seen the wind blow like this, and it’s supposed to blow like this every day,” said Justin Thomas, who will try to repeat his Hawaii 2-0 performance from 2017 when he won on both courses.
Thomas and the other 22 players in the winners-only field last week at least have some fresh experience. They faced three straight days of gusts that made Kapalua feel even more extreme than usual, especially on the greens. Thomas won in a playoff over Xander Schauffele and Patrick Reed, and all three said putts were knocked off line depending on the gusts.
“I thought I was going to get a little bit of a break after last week, but looks like we’ve got more wind and rain,” Thomas said. “Luckily, I had a little bit of a head start. So hopefully, it’ll help.”
The Sony Open starts today with Matt Kuchar as the defending champion. He is among those at Kapalua last week who should get some answers on which course is tougher to play in the wind. It’s not that simple an equation. Kapalua tipped out at close to 7,600 yards for a par 73, with massive fairways. The course was built on the side of a mountain, so players rely on how the ball reacts on the ground as much as in the air. But the course was soft from so much rain the mowers were not used since Friday. Some of the wind was right into their faces or behind them. Reed had a 119-yard shot on the exposed 10th hole that he played as if it were 165 yards.
Waialae is 7,044 yards at a par 70, with narrow fairways and a strain of Bermuda grass that allows the ball to sink to the bottom. The greens are small. But being older, and so much recent rain, they are extremely soft and receptive.
“I think guys that played last week have a pretty nice advantage,” Graeme McDowell said. “We have a week under our belt in very similar conditions. But this week, the greens are more receptive. I can’t believe how soft they are.”
Corey Conners was happy to be on a flatter piece of property, even in big wind. He expects the shots to be more predictable, mainly because he won’t be trying to hit from a severe lie — up or down — on the side of a hill.
“The impact it has on the ball is similar,” Conners said. “But last week was more challenging. You had the ball way above your feet, trying to work the ball into the wind. It’s tough to do.”