Tag: Waialae Country Club

A warm aloha: Watch Gary Woodland’s emotional return to PGA Tour after brain surgery

Woodland was visibly emotional on the first tee Thursday at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

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Gary Woodland underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his brain on Sept. 18, 2023. Just 115 days later, the four-time PGA Tour winner was back to work with a strong showing of support.

The 2019 U.S. Open champion made his return to PGA Tour play on Thursday in the first round of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Woodland was visibly emotional on No. 10 tee, his first hole of the day, as he received a warm aloha from the crowd on hand. Woodland missed the fairway on the short par 4 but scrambled for par.

“I had gone four and a half months of every day really thinking I was going to die,” Woodland said on Tuesday ahead of his 2024 debut. “Every day it was a new way of dying, new way of death. The jolting in the middle of the night scared the heck out of me.”

MORE: The inspiring story of Gary Woodland’s return to golf

Before his surgery, Woodland competed in 24 Tour events in the 2023 season and earned six top-25 finishes, with two inside the top 10.

He shot a 1-over 73 and was tied for 83rd but that was secondary.

“Probably the happiest I’ve ever been shooting over par, tell you that,” he said. “At the end of the day the goal this week was to see how I was mentally, and I was really, really good.”

Woodland had three bogeys in his first eight holes – he played the back nine first – but birdied two of his final seven, including his last hole of the day, the par-5 ninth.

“This was one of the hardest rounds I’ve ever had here,” he said. “And got off to a rough start. I was excited and was doing a lot of breathing trying to slow everything down because I was moving fast. I settled in, especially the last nine holes, and played really, really well. A lot to build on and. Like I said, I’m excited. The energy stayed up. Focus stayed up. A lot to be proud of.”

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Pros, media and fans react to Gary Woodland’s incredible story and return to the PGA Tour after brain surgery

It’s good to have you back, Gary.

Gary Woodland is making his return to the PGA Tour this week at the Sony Open in Hawaii. On Sept. 18 of last year, Woodland announced via his social media account that he underwent surgery to remove a tumor from his brain.

“I had gone four and a half months of every day really thinking I was going to die,” he said during his pre-tournament press conference Tuesday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. “Every day it was a new way of dying, new way of death. The jolting in the middle of the night scared the heck out of me.”

The Tour’s Twitter/X account posted a video of Woodland’s press conference, and various pros, media members and fans responded with words of encouragement and support.

Sony Open: Thursday tee times | Picks to win | Photos

Check out the best photos from the PGA Tour’s 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii

Here are some of the best photos from the week in Honolulu.

The Sony Open, the second leg of the two-week Hawaii stretch on the PGA Tour, was won by Grayson Murray at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

With the final group on the 14th hole during the final round of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii there were five players tied for the lead at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu. Keegan Bradley (67), Grayson Murray (67) and Ben An (64) separated from the pack just enough to reach a three-way playoff at 17 under. In the end, it was Murray who came out on top.

Waialae Country Club is a par-70 track measuring 7,044 yards.

Here are some of the best photos from the 2024 Sony Open.

2024 Sony Open in Hawaii Thursday tee times, how to watch PGA Tour at Waialae

Everything you need to know for the Sony Open.

After a week at Kapalua’s Plantation Course for The Sentry, the PGA Tour heads to Honolulu for the Sony Open in Hawaii. Defending champion Si Woo Kim played in Maui last week, tying for 25th.

Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Sahith Theegala, Hideki Matsuyama and Brian Harman are among the big names joining Kim in the 144-man field. The purse this week is $8.3 million with $1.494 million going to the winner.

Will Zalatoris will play in his first official Tour event since withdrawing prior to last year’s Masters. Zalatoris played in the Hero World Challenge back in December, but finished last in the 20-man field.

The tournament also features the return of Gary Woodland to the Tour. He’ll be playing in his first even since having brain surgery four months ago.

Sony Open: Odds, picks to win

From tee times to TV and streaming info, here’s everything you need to know for the first round of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii. All times listed are ET.

Thursday tee times

1st tee

Tee time Players
12:10 p.m.
Denny McCarthy, Alex Noren, Taylor Montgomery
12:20 p.m.
Aaron Rai, Callum Tarren, Austin Eckroat
12:30 p.m.
Tyler Duncan, Patrick Rodgers, Tyler McCumber
12:40 p.m.
Vincent Norrman, Cameron Champ, Zach Johnson
12:50 p.m.
Luke List, Kurt Kitayama, Patton Kizzire
1 p.m.
K.H. Lee, J.J. Spaun, Chad Ramey
1:10 p.m.
Matt Wallace, Adam Svensson, Andrew Putnam
1:20 p.m.
Russell Henley, Billy Horschel, Ryan Brehm
1:30 p.m.
Lanto Griffin, Grayson Murray, Matti Schmid
1:40 p.m.
Joel Dahmen, Robert Streb, Peter Malnati
1:50 p.m.
Robert MacIntyre, Rico Hoey, Adrien Dumont de Chassart
2 p.m.
Alejandro Tosti, Sami Valimaki, Taiga Semikawa
4:50 p.m.
Troy Merritt, Robby Shelton, Ben Taylor
5 p.m.
Ben Martin, Brandon Wu, Joseph Bramlett
5:10 p.m.
Garrick Higgo, Mark Hubbard, Will Gordon
5:20 p.m.
Emiliano Grillo, Stewart Cink, Brandt Snedeker
5:30 p.m.
Keegan Bradley, Will Zalatoris, Eric Cole
5:40 p.m.
Ludvig Aberg, Sahith Theegala, Akshay Bhatia
5:50 p.m.
Erik van Rooyen, David Riley, Matt Kuchar
6 p.m.
Cam Davis, David Lingmerth, Justin Suh
6:10 p.m.
Keith Mitchell, Michael Kim, Harry Hall
6:20 p.m.
Vince Whaley, Chandler Phillips, Hunter Larson
6:30 p.m.
Ben Kohles, Alexander Bjork, Aguri Iwasaki
6:40 p.m.
Norman Xiong, Jimmy Stanger, Blaze Akana

10th tee

Tee time Player
12:10 p.m.
Aaron Baddeley, Charley Hoffman, Tyson Alexander
12:20 p.m.
Kevin Streelman, Maverick McNealy, Davis Thompson
12:30 p.m.
Byeong Hun An, Zac Blair, Andrew Novak
12:40 p.m.
Kevin Kisner, Tyrrell Hatton, Hary Woodland
12:50 p.m.
Brian Harman, Matt Fitzpatrick, Justin Rose
1 p.m.
Chris Kirk, Si Woo Kim, Hideki Matsuyama
1:10 p.m.
Nick Taylor, Nico Echavarria, Brendon Todd
1:20 p.m.
Ryan Palmer, Carson Young, Kevin Yu
1:30 p.m.
Jhonattan Vegas, Ryan Moore, Matt NeSmith
1:40 p.m.
Stephan Jaeger, Alex Smalley, Doug Ghim
1:50 p.m.
Ben Silverman, Matthieu Pavon, Yuto Katsuragawa
2 p.m.
Paul Barjon, David Skinns, Kensei Hirata
4:50 p.m.
David Lipsky, Ben Griffin, Justin Lower
5 p.m.
Hayden Buckley, Greyson Sigg, S.H. Kim
5:10 p.m.
Martin Laird, Nate Lashley, C.T. Pan
5:20 p.m.
J.T. Poston, Tom Hoge, Adam Hadwin
5:30 p.m.
Nick Hardy, Webb Simpson, Scott Stallings
5:40 p.m.
Seamus Power, Chez Reavie, Harris English
5:50 p.m.
Camilo Villegas, Lucas Glover, Corey Conners
6 p.m.
Taylor Pendrith, Sam Stevens, Dylan Wu
6:10 p.m.
Mattin Trainer, Josh Teater, Carl Yuan
6:20 p.m.
Chan Kim, Ryo Hisatsune, Pierceson Coody
6:30 p.m.
Jake Knapp, Max Greyserman, Takumi Kanaya
6:40 p.m.
Jacob Bridgeman, Parker Coody, Rintaro Nakano

How to watch, listen

ESPN+ is the exclusive home of PGA Tour Live. You can also watch The Sentry on Golf Channel free on Fubo. All times ET.

Thursday, Jan. 11

Golf Channel/Peacock: 6-10:30 p.m.

Sirius XM: 4-10:30 p.m

ESPN+: 12:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m

Friday, Jan. 12

Golf Channel/Peacock: 6-10:30 p.m

Sirius XM: 4-10:30 p.m

ESPN+: 12:30 p.m.-10:30 p.m

Saturday, Jan. 13

Golf Channel/Peacock: 6-10:30 p.m

Sirius XM: 3:30 p.m

ESPN+: 1 p.m.-10:30 p.m

Sunday, Jan. 14

NBC: 4-6 p.m.

Golf Channel/Peacock: 6 p.m.-8 p.m.

Sirius XM: 3-8 p.m.

ESPN+: 1 p.m.-8 p.m.

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Check the yardage book: Waialae for the 2024 Sony Open on the PGA Tour

StrackaLine offers a hole-by-hole course guide for the Sony Open in Hawaii and Waialae Country Club.

Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, site of the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii, originally was designed by famed golden-era architect Seth Raynor and opened in 1927 alongside Kāhala Beach.

The private course has undergone multiple reconstructions, mostly in the 1960s as a hotel was added to the property. Architects Robert Trent Jones Sr., Desmond Muirhead and Rick Smith made changes to the course over the decades, and most recently Tom Doak has worked to restore some of Raynor’s original design concepts.

The layout, which first hosted the PGA Tour in 1965, will play to 7,044 yards with a par of 70 this year. Of note: The standard routing is altered for the Sony Open, with the nines reversed to better take advantage of the scenic sunsets. The nines are presented below in the order in which they are played during the Tour event.

Thanks to yardage books provided by StrackaLine – the maker of detailed yardage books for thousands of courses around the world – we can see exactly the challenges the pros face this week. Check out the maps of each hole below.

Plate lunches, mai tais and Pearl Harbor among where to eat, what to do Honolulu/Waikiki edition for Sony Open in Hawaii

A complete look at this week’s PGA Tour host.

Oahu is known as the “gathering place” for good reason – it’s the home of the state government, the financial and business center and nearly three-quarters of the state population – and it’s where the PGA Tour gathers this week for the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club.

As Hawaii’s capital and largest city, Honolulu is the point of entry for most visits to the islands. The city alternates as a beach resort, urban center, commercial hub, international port and living landmark of Hawaiian history.

Waikiki, the southeastern quarter of the city, is one of the most famous tourist destinations of the world, a magical mile of beachfront hotels, shops, restaurants, and endless entertainment, especially at the modern International Market Place and bustling Kalakaua Avenue. It is also one of the city’s busiest areas.

Waikiki Beach is the general name that refers to any and all of the beaches on the south shore of Oahu, beginning on the Waikiki side of the Hilton Lagoon in the west and stretching all the way to the fringes of Diamond Head Crater. During the day the beaches are awash in aquatic activities as surfers paddle between catamarans, canoes paddle around snorkelers and swimmers jostle into each other. It’s also prime people-watching territory. Here’s some of the places to see, stay and things to eat.

The view from a room at the Royal Hawaiian out to Waikiki Beach. (Adam Schupak/Golfweek)

2024 Sony Open in Hawaii odds and picks to win at this week’s PGA Tour stop

Waialae could be the perfect fit for Matt Fitzpatrick.

After a fantastic 2024 opener at The Sentry, the PGA Tour heads to Honolulu for the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club. While it’s not a signature event, this year’s field boasts plenty of star power.

Defending champion Si Woo Kim is joined by Matt Fitzpatrick, Ludvig Aberg, Tyrrell Hatton, Sahith Theegala, Brian Harman and Justin Rose. After a final-round 7-under 66 in Maui, Kim tied for 25th at The Sentry.

Will Zalatoris is also in the field and will be making his first official Tour start since withdrawing prior to the 2023 Masters. He did tee it up at Tiger Woods’ Hero World Challenge in December, finishing last in the 20-man field.

The Sentry winner Chris Kirk will be a name to watch this week. In ’23, Kirk finished solo third, and in ’21 he grabbed a share of second. Overall, Kirk has five top-10 finishes — four of which are top-5s — at the Sony.

Saturday at Waialae: Several players vying for first win, jam-packed leaderboard and more from the third round of Sony Open in Hawaii

You may not know the names, but the battle on Sunday is set to bring the drama.

With 18 holes to play at Waialae Country Club, the Sony Open title is up for grabs.

The finish in Hawaii is set to come down to the wire with 15 players at or within five shots of the lead including many looking for their first career win or first in several years.

Hayden Buckley created some separation late in his round when he stuck his 222-yard approach to a few feet and converted the eagle to finish the day at 15 under, two shots ahead of the pack. The 2023 Sony would be Buckley’s first win on the PGA Tour.

If you missed the third-round action, no worries, we have you covered. Here’s everything you missed from Saturday on Oahu.

First-round co-leader Jordan Spieth, Tom Kim highlight group of players headed back to mainland early at the 2023 Sony Open in Hawaii

Jordan Spieth made history Friday, and not for a good reason.

No one wants a stay in Hawaii cut short, but Friday brought an end for a number of golfers at the Sony Open. This doesn’t mean some won’t hang around the island of Oahu for a couple more days, but their work week is done after 36 holes.

The first full-field event – and therefore first cut – of 2023 featured 19 of the 39 players who competed in the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua last week.

A number of notable names failed to advance to the weekend at the Sony, including one of the first-round co-leaders.

Check out the full list below.

Cut line: 2 under

Friday at Waialae: Jordan Spieth makes not-so-great history, Chris Kirk’s 2,791-day drought and more from the second round of the Sony Open

Get caught up on the action from Friday in Hawaii.

J.J. Spaun may never tuck in his shirt again.

After making waves through the golf world last week at the Sentry Tournament of Champions with his wardrobe choice, Spaun kept the relaxed vibes going at Waialae Country Club Friday during the second round of the Sony Open.

Just days removed from a T-5 finish at the Plantation Course, Spaun is in position to contend for his second career PGA Tour win (his first was the 2022 Valero Texas Open). He’s tied with Taylor Montgomery for second, one shot behind the 36-hole leader, Chris Kirk.

Montgomery has continued his great play from the end of 2022, when he finished inside the top 20 in six of seven starts during the wrap-around campaign. In fact, out of all Tour players, he’s the most under-par so far this season (83 under).

If you missed the action Friday night, don’t worry, we have you covered. Here’s everything you need to know from the second round of the Sony Open.