How to watch Sony Open in Hawaii, Round 1: Live leaderboard, TV times, tee times

He’s the best player in the world. He’s on a roll. He’s already won this event once. Open-and-shut case? Not all our experts are convinced. They landed on a few other names, too, to win this week at Winged Foot.

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The PGA TOUR has been coming to Waialae since 1965, making it the third-longest running host venue among annual (non-major) PGA TOUR stops. Great weather, classic Hawaiian course, must-see destination, laid-back beachy vibe – gee, we can’t imagine why it’s so popular among TOUR players. THE FLYOVER  No hole on the PGA TOUR last season was easier than the 506-yard par-5 ninth at Waialae, which played to a stroke average of 4.210 (0.790 under par). The hole allowed the most birdies (285) and the second-most eagles (39) of any hole during the 2017-18 season. An occasionally strong cross wind and out-of-bounds on both sides evidently doesn’t faze most of the TOUR pros. LANDING ZONE Say hello to the toughest fairway to hit on the PGA TOUR. In the ShotLink Era (since 2003), just 36.4 percent of all tee shots (2,545 of 6,992 shots) at the 551-yard par-5 18th at Waialae have successfully found the fairway. That’s the lowest percentage of any hole (minimum 2,200 attempts) on TOUR. Here’s a look at where all tee shots at the 18th landed last year at the Sony Open. WEATHER CHECK From PGA TOUR meteorologist Joe Halvorson: “Outside an isolated shower risk, a largely dry week is in store. Any showers that develop are expected to be short-lived and will produce light rainfall. Winds are forecast to remain fairly light through the week, alternating between weak east and southeasterly breezes. Temperatures will reach highs in the low 80s through the week.â€� For the latest weather news from Honolulu, Hawaii, check out PGATOUR.COM’s Weather Hub. SOUND CHECK New opportunities and new things are sometimes difficult, and I didn’t handle them as well as I could. Now they’re not new anymore. BY THE NUMBERS 31 – Number of rounds at 62 or better at Waialae in the ShotLink Era (since 2003). That’s the second-highest total in that span, with only Sedgefield (33) providing more 62-or-better rounds.  Justin Thomas and Chad Campbell each have two rounds of 62 or better at Waialae – the only players with multiple rounds. 6 – Number of sudden-death holes Patton Kizzire needed to win last year’s playoff against James Hahn. It was the longest playoff on TOUR since the 2012 Mayakoba Golf Classic. 9 – Players who have made the Sony Open in Hawaii their first career TOUR win. The most recent was Russell Henley in 2013. Henley was also the last player to win the event in his first start at Waialae. SCATTERSHOTS Welcome back: Bubba Watson is making his first start at Waialae since his T-46 finish in 2010. His best result is a solo fourth in his first Sony start in 2006 … Adam Scott and Matt Kuchar are back at Sony after missing the last two years. Scott tied for second in 2009; Kuchar has four top-10 finishes in his five starts at Waialae. 20-somethings: Three players in the field are in their third decade of playing at Waialae. Vijay Singh (the 2005 winner) and Jerry Kelly (who won in 2002) are making their 22nd starts at Sony, while Rory Sabbatini is making his 21st consecutive start. Top Japanese players: Seven Japanese players are in this week’s field, led by five-time TOUR winner Hideki Matsuyama, reigning RBC Heritage champ Satoshi Kodaira, and the country’s top amateur golfer, Takumi Kanaya. Kanaya is among five Japanese players who received sponsor exemptions from the tournament. Others include: Rikuya Hoshino, Yuta Ikeda, Yuki Inamori and Shugo Imahira. On Tuesday, Imahira – the Order of Merit winner on the Japan Tour in 2018 — received a special invite to play at this year’s Masters.

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The Open Championship returns this year after being cancelled due to COVID-19 in 2020. It was the first time since World War II the major was not played. Shane Lowry, who captured his first major championship at The Open at Royal Portrush in 2019, will return the Claret Jug after his extended title defense ends. FIELD NOTES: The top two golfers in the FedExCup standings – Patrick Cantlay and Harris English – will both look for their first major championship wins at The Open… Shane Lowry returns to defend his 2019 Open Championship title. Lowry is looking to become the first golfer since Padraig Harrington (2007, 2008) to go back-to-back… Each of the other major winners this season (Bryson DeChambeau, Dustin Johnson, Hideki Matsuyama, Phil Mickelson, and Jon Rahm) will all look to add to their major trophy cases at Royal St. George’s… A slot remains for the John Deere Classic’s highest top-5 finisher who hasn’t yet qualified… Some of the world’s top golfers, including former PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year Sungjae Im, have decided to pass on The Open this year citing a variety of reasons (including travel). For Im, he’s decided he wanted to keep his focus on winning an Olympic medal… All of the top 30 golfers in the world will tee it up at The Open with Im (at No. 27) being the only absence. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 600 FedExCup points. COURSE: Royal St. George’s GC, par 70, 7,211 yards (yardage subject to change). Royal St. George’s was the first golf course in England to host The Open (1894) and this year will mark the 15th time for the storied course. The last Open Championship contested there was in 2011 (won by Darren Clarke at age 42) and prior to that it was Ben Curtis’ surprising victory in 2003. The course is known for its rumpled and undulating terrain which often produces unpredictable bounces, plus dunes and deep bunkering. It’s set over beautiful seaside land. STORYLINES: Jon Rahm will look to become only the seventh golfer to ever win the U.S. Open and Open Championship in the same year… Louis Oosthuizen is trying to avoid becoming the first golfer since 2000 to finish runner-up in three straight majors… A major winner already, Bryson DeChambeau will debut his new caddie, Brian Zeigler, at Royal St. George’s… Can Phil Mickelson keep his major mojo going? After winning the PGA Championship earlier this year, it should be noted Mickelson finished runner-up to Darren Clarke in the 2011 Open, contested at Royal St. George’s… The Open Championship will be contested at St. Andrews in 2022, Royal Liverpool in 2023, and Royal Troon in 2024. 72-HOLE RECORD: 264, Henrik Stenson (2016 at Royal Troon). 18-HOLE RECORD: 62, Branden Grace (3rd round, 2017 at Royal Birkdale). LAST TIME: Shane Lowry had the support of a nation as he captured his first-career major championship title. The quick-with-a-smile Irishman won the 2019 Open Championship by six shots. He shot a blistering 63 (a course record) on Saturday at Royal Portrush – the first time the magical links of Northern Ireland had hosted The Open since the 1951 – and despite a 1-over 72 it was his title for the taking. After leading by four through 54 holes, there were no challenges on Sunday to speak of from the chasers, as Tommy Fleetwood, who finished runner up, shot 3-over 74 in the final round. Tony Finau finished third while Lee Westwood and Brooks Koepka were tied for fourth. Koepka’s top-five finish put him in some serious company. He was the fifth player to finish in the top five in all four majors in a single season joining Jordan Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Jack Nicklaus, and Tiger Woods. HOW TO FOLLOW (All times ET) Television: Thursday-Friday, 1:30 a.m.-4 a.m. (Peacock), 4 a.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-4 p.m. (Peacock). Saturday, 5 a.m.-7 a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m.-3 p.m. (NBC). Sunday, 4 a.m.-7 a.m. (Golf Channel), 7 a.m.-2 p.m. (NBC) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 2 a.m.-3 p.m. ET; Saturday-Sunday, 4 a.m.-2 p.m (SiriusXM 92)

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