For a 21-year-old who has already seen a Sunday leaderboard at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Tadd Fujikawa still gets the nerves.

Three years removed from his magical 62 that sent Waialae Country Club into a frenzy, the Moanalua High graduate began 2012 with a 1-under 69 in Thursday’s opening round.

Playing on a sponsor’s exemption, Fujikawa overcame a bogey on No. 1 to shoot under par for the first time at Waialae since his 62 moved him within two shots of the lead heading into the final round in 2009.

"In the beginning I was a little shaky with the tee shots, but overall it was a pretty good day," said Fujikawa, who was given the invitation to play a day after falling short in Monday’s qualifier. "That’s the trick out here — to keep the ball in the fairway — and if you can do that you can give yourself a bunch of birdie opportunities."

After missing the cut in 2010 and not playing last year, Fujikawa got a bogey at No. 1 after spraying his second shot to the right, roughly 70 yards below the hole.

He admitted feeling nervous to start the round.

"If you don’t, there’s something wrong with you because it means you don’t really care," Fujikawa said. "I try not to let it affect me and try to harness it and turn it into a positive."

He did exactly that, slipping up only once, with a three-putt on the par-4 14th for bogey.

Fujikawa was 1 under after birdies on Nos. 9 and 10 and bounced back with another on the par-4 15th, hitting his approach from 123 yards out to within 5 feet of the cup.

As darkness hovered over the final two groups to finish, Fujikawa escaped trouble on 18, getting up and down from the rough after hitting his second shot into a greenside bunker.

That par on 18 allowed him to finish one shot ahead of the projected cut of even par. He will tee off on No. 10 today at 8:50 a.m.

"If I can get my driver straightened out and keep my misses to a minimum, I will be OK," Fujikawa said.

He’ll also have to overcome lingering pain in his left thumb from an injury suffered last August, prior to Q-school. He spent a month in a cast and went another three weeks before he was able to start chipping.

"It still hurts a little, to be honest," he said. "I’m probably going to have to get a cortisone shot — not looking forward to that."

Fujikawa is the only one of five golfers with local ties to finish under par. Leilehua and Hawaii-Hilo alum Nick Mason is tied with Punahou alum Parker McLachlin at 1 over.

McLachlin, who was informed of his sponsor’s exemption moments before Monday’s qualifier at Turtle Bay, birdied his first two holes after starting on No. 10.

He was at 2 under with five to play, but bogeys at Nos 5 and 6 and another at No. 9 after three-putting from 16 feet left him a shot behind the projected cut.

"Turned a 66 or 67 into a 71, so a little disappointed with how the last few holes went," McLachlin said. "I’d like to get off to a good start again like (Thursday) and play this course like I’ve always known how to play it."

Waikoloa’s Eric Dugas and 16-year-old Moanalua sophomore John Oda both shot 73.