KAPALUA, Hawaii — The PGA Tour is back, and Tom Hoge has wasted no time making his mark. The American golfer fired a brilliant nine-under-par 64 to seize the first-round lead at The Sentry, the traditional curtain-raiser for the Tour season, held at the picturesque Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii.
Hoge’s impressive round was fueled by a hot start, with birdies on four of the first five holes.Despite a minor setback with a bogey on the 6th, he quickly regained momentum with birdies on the 7th and 9th, making the turn in a blistering 31.The back nine saw him add four more birdies, including one on the challenging par-five 18th, to secure his place atop the leaderboard.
“I really didn’t have many expectations coming in, because there wasn’t a whole lot of play or practice the last few months,” Hoge admitted. However, he expressed satisfaction with his putting, which proved crucial to his success.
Hoge’s performance puts him one stroke ahead of a pair of formidable contenders: fellow American Will Zalatoris and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama. Both players carded impressive rounds of 65, setting the stage for an exciting competition as the tournament progresses.
The Sentry marks the first of eight “signature events” on the PGA Tour this season.These events are designed to bring together the Tour’s elite players at various points throughout the year.However, world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler is notably absent from this week’s competition due to a hand injury sustained in a Christmas dinner cooking accident.
As the tournament unfolds, all eyes will be on Hoge to see if he can maintain his lead and secure his second PGA Tour victory, following his win at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in 2022. With strong competition from the likes of Zalatoris and Matsuyama, the early stages of the 2025 PGA Tour season promise thrilling golf and captivating storylines.