Stunning Svensson
Canadian rookie fires seven birdies to lead in Sony Open
LOS ANGELES: Canadian rookie Adam Svensson fired seven birdies and an eagle in a nine-under 61 to seize the first-round lead in the US PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii by one stroke from Andrew Putnam.
Svensson’s capped his round at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu on Thursday with a birdie at the par-five 18th to nip past early pace-setter Putnam, who had nine birdies and a bogey in his eight-under 62.
Veteran Matt Kuchar was alone in third in the Tour’s first full-field event of 2019 after a bogey-free seven-under 63.
Svensson, a 25-year-old graduate of the developmental Web.com Tour, was four-under through nine holes after birdies at the fifth and sixth and an eagle at the ninth.
A 53-foot birdie putt at the 11th launched a string of four straight birdies that pulled him level with Putnam.
He grabbed the lead at the last with a 10-foot birdie.
“My putting,” he said when asked the key to his round.
“That arm-lock helped me out a lot today,” he added of the putting technique he’s been using for about five months.
“My speed was great,” he said noting that hitting 16 of 18 greens in regulation didn’t hurt.
“I gave myself a lot of opportunities.”
Putnam set an early target, his eight-under round standing as the lead for most of the day.
Putnam needed just 23 putts, making 12 of 12 from 10 feet and rolling in birdie putts of 27, 21 and 28 feet during his round.
“The putter was hot,” said Putnam, a 29-year-old who claimed his first US PGA Tour title at the Barracuda Championship in August. “I don’t know how many feet I made of putts, but it was get- ting a little ridiculous.
“The hole was very large, and the ball was going in.”
Putnam said putting wasn’t the only key – the rest of his game was pretty good, too.
“I had a few mistakes here and there but hit my irons great,” he said. “I left myself in pretty good spots.”
As Putnam was burning up the course, former world number one Spieth slogged his way to a threeover 73.
“I went through a couple of different swings today,” said Spieth, who said before the tournament that he was hoping to knock a little rust off his game after a late-year layoff. “I’m over the ball and not comfortable.”
Spieth, who endured a disappointing 2018 without a victory, said he remained confident he could get back on track.
“As long as I don’t let it get to me like I did last year at times,” Spieth said.
Shugo Imahira, who received a special invitation this week to play in this year’s US Masters at Augusta National, led a seven-strong Japanese contingent with a 65 that put him tied for fourth with Americans Chez Reavie and Hudson Swafford.