Christiaan Bezuidenhout opened his 2022 campaign on the PGA Tour with a five-under-par 65 on Thursday in the opening round of the Sony Open in Hawaii in Honolulu to take up a share of 16th place.
Bezuidenhout made six birdies and one bogey and finds himself four shots off the lead held by Kevin Na of the United States. Fellow-Americans Jim Furyk and Russell Henley were in a share of second, one shot back on eight-under-par.
Bezuidenhout started his round on the 10th, and picked up birdies on 12 and 18 to turn in two-under 33. He made a birdie immediately after the turn, and again on the fifth to go to four-under, but he made bogey on the par-three seventh when he three-putted. He followed that with two birdies in a row to finish off.
Erik van Rooyen had a rocky start to his round, with bogeys on the first and second. He birdied five and then an eagle three on the ninth turned his fortunes around. Four birdies and a bogey on the homeward nine saw him sign for a four-under 66 and a share of 24th.
Branden Grace and Dawie van der Walt each carded a level-par 70, while Rory Sabbatini was on one-under after the first round.
