HONOLULU — The royal palms on a Waialae course that runs alongside the Pacific Ocean give a peaceable ambiance to the Sony Open, the perfect place for the complete PGA Tour membership to start out the 12 months.
However a brand new season has introduced a small diploma of stress in paradise.
The Sony Open successfully begins the chase for a PGA Tour card — solely 100 from the FedExCup this 12 months, down from 125, marking essentially the most vital change in eligibility in some 40 years.
Camilo Villegas described it as an vital 12 months for him, and it’s solely January.
“There’s a sense of urgency,” Villegas stated Wednesday. “You’ve obtained to play whenever you get in (tournaments) and it’s important to carry out. It’s going to be very compact. It’s going to be a dogfight on the market, which is cool.”
Gamers warming up within the morning darkness — floodlights on the driving vary however not the placing inexperienced — was one other reminder of a number of the modifications. Together with a discount in playing cards, the sector sizes shall be shrinking beginning in 2026 to ensure anybody with a card will get into a good quantity of tournaments and rounds have a greater probability of ending on time with a smaller variety of gamers on the course.
Optimism, after all, is as nice as ever. Villegas gained in Bermuda towards the tip of 2023 to earn a two-year exemption, and final 12 months was amongst his greatest. He is aware of he has to play effectively to maintain his job, and he was unwilling to even tackle the chance he gained’t end within the prime 100.
“I’m going to maintain my card,” he stated with a smile.
Hideki Matsuyama has no such points because the No. 5 participant on this planet who’s coming off a file scoring efficiency to win final week at Kapalua . Now the Japanese star tries to develop into the third participant to comb the Hawaii swing, becoming a member of Justin Thomas (2017) and Ernie Els (2003).
For everybody else, veterans and rookies alike, it’s solely the start.
Tee occasions, groupings and easy methods to watch the primary spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“I might say I’m extra excited this 12 months as a result of I felt like I obtained quite a bit higher final 12 months at enjoying golf, and I felt like I improved final 12 months,” stated Keith Mitchell, who’s beginning his eighth 12 months. “And yearly you have got a card, you have got a clean slate to show your enchancment.”
Mitchell missed out on the FedExCup playoffs final 12 months by an estimated three pictures — had he been three pictures higher within the closing spherical of the common season, it might have been sufficient. He can also look again at 18 different tournaments the place he might have picked up a shot or two. Each participant can do this.
Even with a seven-month season to maintain the cardboard, Mitchell has been round lengthy sufficient to appreciate that getting off to a great begin can ease the true strain that comes later.
“Everyone is at zero,” Mitchell stated. “Every week doesn’t really feel as monumental because it does the final three or 4 weeks. The start of the season, individuals play just a little extra free or relaxed as a result of it doesn’t really feel as pressing.”
Mitchell stated the putts he makes, the scores he posts, are simply as beneficial now as they’re within the closing regular-season tournaments in the summertime.
“Theoretically it’s,” he stated. “However emotionally it’s not.”
The Sony Open is the beginning of a three-tournament stretch through which the main 5 gamers develop into eligible for $20 million signature occasions in California. Getting within the large occasions can go a good distance for somebody making an attempt to maintain his job.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley has much more expertise with the optimism and nerves that include a brand new season. He made his debut as a PGA Tour member within the Sony Open in 2011. Bradley went on to win the Byron Nelson and the PGA Championship that 12 months, however he additionally has sturdy reminiscences of the beginning.
“It’s a scary feeling,” he stated. “I obtained right here my first occasion, Ernie Els was on the placing inexperienced, and that was like a ‘Holy cow’ second for me. Nevertheless it’s an actual daunting feeling since you labored your complete life to get right here, and now it’s important to play one of the best golf of your life so as to hold your card.
“I take a look at the rookies, and a part of me is so jealous that they’ve all of this in entrance of them,” he stated. “And one other a part of me is like, ‘Man, they’ve obtained quite a lot of strain on them, beginning proper out of the gate.’ I want all of them one of the best. It’s a extremely robust enterprise to achieve success in.”
