HONOLULU – Carl Yuan soaked up the views at the Sony Open, not just his name atop the leaderboard when he finished his second round Friday but just being in Hawaii to start his PGA Tour season.
If not for Jon Rahm, the 26-year-old Yuan wouldn’t be here.
Yuan finished at No. 126 in the FedEx Cup last November by one point and was getting ready to earn his card back through Q-school. And then Rahm bolted for the Saudi riches of LIV Golf. The tour suspended Rahm and removed him from the FedEx Cup standings.
Yuan moved up one spot to No. 125, had his full card and got into the Sony Open. And then he posted a 5-under 65 on Friday, finishing with a two-putt birdie, and had the early lead.
“I was very thrilled,” Yuan said. “It gives me another chance to improve and get better.”
Yuan was at 9-under 131 and led by one shot over 50-year-old Stewart Cink, whose two-week Hawaii swing includes the PGA Tour Champions opener next week on the Big Island. Also one shot behind among the early starters were two players going in the opposite direction. Cam Davis, who opened with a 62, settled for a 70. Ben Griffin opened with a 70 and shot 62.
Keith Mitchell holed a 45-foot eagle putt on the par-5 ninth to cap his 64 and joined the large group at 8-under 132. As the wind eased — still blowing, but not the 30 mph variety from the first round — more players had a chance to join them by the end of the day.
Yuan’s rookie year was a struggle, but the Chinese player at least saved himself in the fall. He finished the regular season at No. 151, but did enough over the last three months to at least give himself a chance. But he was bumped out by Ryan Moore in the final event.
He played a practice round at the TPC Sawgrass to get ready for Q-school — “My wife was going to caddie for me and it was raining,” he said — and then later that night got word that Rahm was suspended and he was in.
Yuan wasn’t overly concerned because he would have had limited status. As it turns out, even some of the rookies with full cards didn’t get into the Sony Open.
“Before I learned the news, I was really trying to get myself ready and come out and play good in Hawaii and on the West Coast and try to earn myself back on tour,” Yuan said. “Luckily I got full status, but I’m still trying to do the same thing and come out here and play the best I can.”
Cink turned 50 last year and began to split time on the two tours. He figures he’ll play about two dozen events this year, a mixture of both. He’s not in the $20 million signature events and might play on the PGA Tour Champions when that’s the best option.
Cink said he’s not worried about winning the FedEx Cup or the Charles Schwab Cup. He just wants to play as well as he can, and he certainly looked the part over two days at Waialae. He followed a 67 with a bogey-free 65.
Keegan Bradley and Harris English were among those two shots behind from the early starters. English wasn’t sure where that would put him at the end of the day because of the easing conditions. But he was in the mix, and that’s all that mattered.
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