KAPALUA, Hawaii – Justin Thomas kept bogeys off his card, thanks in part to Dustin Johnson’s chaddy, and scored three of his last five holes Thursday for 8-under 65 to share the lead with Harris English in the Sentry Champions.
Thomas could not have made a better start in his quest to become Kapalua’s first back-to-back winner since 2010. On a fine evening on the western edge of Maui, he drilled three straight holes in to finish off the front. nine and took advantage of the scoring holes behind nine.
But it was the 13th hole where Thomas got the biggest break.
Sentry Champion Competition: full-field scores Full coverage
He drove his driver right into the deep native grasslands, expecting never to be found. He struck temporarily, and the group conducted a cursory investigation when Austin Johnson found him by stepping on him.
The ball was replaced where it was originally – just about half a turn – and Thomas went out on all sides, put it on the lawn and rolled in par putt from just within 40 feet. .
A two-put birdie on the 18th par-5 tied for English, and his 65th was marked by an entry for eagle on No. 9.
Unlike the wind that blew over the Planting Course earlier in the week when the players arrived, it was relatively calm by Kapalua standards and showed in the scoring. Only two players in the 42-man field were above par.
Sergio Garcia, playing at Kapalua for the first time in 15 years, and Patrick Reed were among those at 6-under 67, with Adam Scott in the group at 68.
Johnson, his first start since winning the Masters in November, showed some rust on the greens. He had a good birdie look on the last six holes and didn’t do any of them, settling for a 2-under 71.
The competition will feature more than just PGA Tour winners for the first time. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic that closed golf for three months, the field is including anyone who has made it to the Tournament Tournament.