Power ten shots behind Davis in windy Sony Open as Woodland returns after brain surgery

Seamus Power failed to make a birdie in a two-over 72 that left him ten shots adrift of clubhouse leader Cam Davis in the PGA Tour’s wind-blown Sony Open in Hawaii.

The West Waterford man, who returned to action for the first time since August with a tie for 50th in The Sentry at Kapalua last week, opened with 11 consecutive pars before dropping shots on the third and fifth holes at Waialae Country Club.

Power struggled to hit the ball close all day and made nothing outside five feet in a 33-putt round that left him tied 107th with 19 players still to complete the first rounds today.

Australian Davis (28) made nine birdies in a PGA Tour career-low, eight-under 62 to lead by two strokes from Taylor Montgomery and by three from England’s Aaron Rai, Austin Eckroat, Stephan Jaeger and Webb Simpson.

“I started figuring out what wasn’t working, what was working, and Sunday last week I started to put some consistent shots together,” said Davis, who struggled in the Sentry before closing with a 65 to finish a shot behind Power in 52nd.

“I thought as long as I can build off that round and continue that on to this week and next week, that is the sort of momentum I was looking for. It was very cool to back it up with a really good round.”

A one-over 71 was a triumph for former US Open champion Gary Woodland in his first start since undergoing brain surgery on September 18.

Woodland underwent the removal of part of a tumour that was causing fear and anxiety with most of those thoughts centred around death.   

According to the PGA Tour, he only decided in the last week or so that he was ready to play and found himself getting emotional when his name was announced on the first tee.  

“Hearing Topeka, Kansas, hearing my name called, there was a time when I didn’t know if that was going to be called again, so it got me a little more than I thought it was going to,” Woodland said.

“Probably the happiest I’ve ever been shooting over par, tell you that. The goal this week was to see how I was mentally, and I was really, really good. This was one of the hardest rounds I’ve ever had here. 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.”