Here are nine tidbits from the opening round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions that gamers can use tomorrow, this weekend or down the road. Be looking for the Emergency 9 shortly after the close of play of each round of the tournament. Breaking: Wind The trade winds were up and blowing today but 21 of 34 players still broke par on Kapalua’s Plantation Course. If the winds continue to blow as forecast, the field should separate as the week continues. One man that hopes this forecast continues is Marc Leishman. The Aussie has proven throughout his career that his piercing ball flight isn’t bothered much by the breeze. His 67 (-6) included eight birdies, the most on Thursday, and was the best of the day by a shot. Stalking the lead Brian Harman breezed home with a bogey-free 68 to tie second with Jhonattan Vegas. Harman’s only appearance in 2015 saw him close with 65, suggesting he had figured something out on The Plantation Course. Vegas is making his third trip and this was his first round in the 60’s. Hanging 10 It’s hardly a surprise that Dustin Johnson is off to a decent start (T4) as he’s never finished outside the top 10 in his last six starts at Kapalua. The big hitter won the weather-shortened event here in 2013 and has no problem tackling any course regardless of weather. His forte is ball-striking yet he hit only eight fairways and was 26th of 34 in proximity to the hole. Imagine if he starts striping it again! Seeing is believing Si Woo Kim shot 69 and led the field in SG: Tee-to-Green. That’s a pretty good stat to follow as I pointed out in Tuesday’s Confidence Factor. The last three winners all led the field in this category. The last three winners also have all been 25 or younger and won in their second try. Kim is 22 and played here last year for the first time. #Trending. Can Play After taking almost three years off, Patrick Cantlay returned to action in 2017 and didn’t miss a cut in 14 events. The 14th and final event of 2017 saw him lift his first trophy at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas. Gamers afraid he’s been too lightly raced might have to reconsider. He’s one of 14 this week playing for the first time in Maui but figured it out quickly. He bogeyed two of his first four holes but birdied four of the next five to turn in 34 (-2). He added eight pars and a closing birdie to wind up with 70, the lowest score of those 14 newbies. Doubting Thomas Not yet! He was the most picked player in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO with a whopping 70 percent of gamers loading up on the defending champ. Through 13 holes, he was one-over and treading water. He turned on the class by circling birdies on three of his last five holes to jump to T12 (-2) and just four shots out of first. Whew, said everybody! What’s Cook-in? Austin Cook, the winner in the final event of 2017 at The RSM Classic, saw both sides of The Plantation Course. He went out in bogey-free 32 that included four birdies. He made one par on the back nine and shot 42. He ended up with six birdies on the card and taste of the highs and lows of paradise. Brooks is still here After wiping out the field in Japan by nine shots to win the Dunlop Phoenix to back up his T2 at WGC-HSBC Champions, Koepka headed back to the States with a bit of a wrist issue. He teed it up in the 18-man Hero World Challenge field in the Bahamas and finished last. His first event of 2018 saw him square three bogeys and a double in his first four holes and he’s currently last again. He’s the sixth-most selected player in PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO this week so adjust accordingly! Wipe out? Playing with his buddy Thomas, Jordan Spieth threw up his worst score in 13 rounds at The Plantation Course with 75. It’s his first round at par or worse during that streak. With the Texan finding himself on 48% of rosters in the PGA TOUR Fantasy Golf presented by SERVPRO this week it’s not time to abandon ship just yet. Spieth is one of the best putters on the planet yet checked in 33rd of 34 in SG: Putting. He also makes birdies for fun on this course, 74 in his previous 216 holes, but carded only two in round one. I’m going to suggest those two categories improve DRAMATICALLY tomorrow. He stays in my lineup.
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