Sony Open 2019: Adam Svensson Leads After Shooting Opening-Round 61

The 2019 Sony Open got underway at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Thursday, and Adam Svensson finished strong to lead the field after one round.

Svensson sits atop the leaderboard after shooting a nine-under 61 on the first 18 holes. However, he has little breathing room, as Andrew Putnam (62) is one shot back.

Below is a look at Thursday's action in Hawaii.

2019 Sony Open Standings — First Round

1. Adam Svensson 61 (-9)

2. Andrew Putnam 62 (-8)

3. Matt Kuchar 63 (-7)

T4. Chez Reavie 65 (-5)

T4. Hudson Swafford 65 (-5)

T4. Shugo Imahira 65 (-5)

T7. Brandt Snedeker 66 (-4)

T7. Jason Dufner 66 (-4)

T7. John Chin 66 (-4)

T7. Brian Stuard 66 (-4)

T7. Michael Thompson 66 (-4)

T7. Ted Potter Jr. 66 (-4)

T7. Cameron Smith 66 (-4)

*Full leaderboard can be viewed on the PGA Tour's official website.

Recap

Golf fans could not have asked for more compelling action to start the tournament.

Early on, Putnam was the star of the day. He managed to nab an impressive nine birdies in 18 holes, although a bogey on 15 kept him from a flawless performance.

As the PGA Tour noted, it was his short game that allowed him to climb the leaderboard:

It wound up being one of the best rounds of Putnam's career, according to PGA Tour Communications:

This comes one week after he finished tied for 14th place at the Tournament of Champions.

And while Putnam appeared to be in good shape heading into the clubhouse, he could only watch as Svensson made a charge later in the day.

In his first tournament of the year, Svensson shot a four-under on the front nine, highlighted by an eagle on the ninth hole. That put him in the perfect position to make a run at Putnam as he made his way to the back nine—and that's where he really hit his groove. He birdied four straight holes on the back nine, putting him at six under over a six-hole span.

That hot streak helped him move into a share of the lead:

With a chance to have the lead to himself at the end of Day 1, Svensson birdied the 18th. By doing so, he also managed one of the best opening-round scores the Tour has seen recently, per PGA Tour Communications:

Perhaps the most interesting performance came from world No. 4 Justin Thomas. He had no shortage of highlights, as he notched three birdies and two eagles on the day.

However, he also stumbled along the way, recording four bogeys in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. As a result, he sits in a tie for 14th place at three under following his 67.

Of note, Jordan Spieth ended Day 1 at three over after shooting a 73, while world No. 5 Bryson DeChambeau shot a one-under 69. 

Round 2 gets underway on Friday at 7 a.m. local time, 12 p.m. ET.