Englishman Harry Hall Tied for Lead at Sony Open in Hawaii

Harry Hall cards a 6-under 64 to share the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii, joined by five American golfers.

England's Harry Hall made a strong start to the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii, carding a six-under-par 64 to grab a share of the lead on Thursday. Hall's impressive round at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu was matched by five other players, with first-round play halted due to darkness and a handful of players still on the course.

Hall's roller-coaster round featured 10 birdies, two bogeys, and a double bogey, showcasing his resilience and skill. The 27-year-old's success can be attributed to his rejuvenated swing, which he credits to recent work with legendary golf guru Butch Harmon.

Hall revealed that he sought advice from Harmon last year, and the 81-year-old guru responded a few months later. Hall explained, “I approached him and he reached out to me a few months after and said 'it would be great to see you'.” Hall began working with Harmon, and the results have been impressive. He added, “I started working with him, and since then I've played really nice.”

Harry Hall's aggressive play with the driver was a key factor in his impressive birdie spree on Thursday. Hall emphasized the importance of confidence with the driver, saying, “If you have confidence in the driver, then it really makes a big difference.” He explained how this confidence helped him navigate the tight golf course, stating, “It's quite a tight golf course, so if you can hit a driver straight, then you're obviously gaining a few strokes on the field, and that's exactly what I did.”

Hall acknowledged that there is still room for improvement, despite his strong start. He said, “If I can clean up a few things that happened today - a couple of bogeys and the double - it'll hopefully be a really good week.” Hall's six-under-par score put him in a tie for the lead with five American golfers: Adam Schenk, Eric Cole, Denny McCarthy, Paul Peterson, and Tom Hoge.

PGA Tour rookie Paul Peterson made a remarkable debut on Thursday, starting his round with three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to reach the turn at five under. This impressive start earned him a share of the lead alongside Hall and the other American golfers.

Following his strong start, Peterson continued to excel, notching two additional birdies on the 10th and 11th holes to reach seven under par. However, his momentum was temporarily halted by bogeys on the 13th and 16th holes. Undeterred, Peterson rebounded with a birdie on the final hole, securing a share of the lead.

Peterson reflected on his impressive round, saying, “It was pretty fun - just hit it nice, putted it nicely.” He attributed his success on the greens to extra practice the previous evening, adding, “Put some extra time in on the greens yesterday evening and it seemed to pay off.” Peterson also expressed his satisfaction with his overall performance, stating, “It's been nice to feel like I'm hitting it well and getting off to a good start.”

The ideal scoring conditions led to a crowded leaderboard, with six players trailing the leaders by just one stroke on five under par. Among these players are Sweden's Henrik Norlander and Canadian Adam Hadwin, who are well-positioned to make a move in the upcoming rounds.

Defending champion Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, fresh from his victory at the Sentry Open in Kapalua last week, carded a three-under-par 67. This left him three strokes off the lead, a manageable deficit as he seeks to build on his momentum from the previous week.