Brent Grant could relax in relative comfort after a solid 66 positioned the Moanalua graduate for a spot in this week’s Sony Open in Hawaii.
Jared Sawada had to sweat out two extra holes in the Monday qualifier at Hoakalei Country Club.
Both local golfers emerged from the 65-player qualifier with berths in the PGA Tour’s first full-field event of 2019 and both credited their focus in advancing to Thursday’s opening round at Waialae Country Club.
“Just one shot at a time,” Grant said of his approach. “This golf course and I have had a love-hate relationship for many years. I’ve played this qualifier a few times and been right there and just lost it. … I just tried my hardest not to think about the next thing or the end of the day or tomorrow and just focus on one shot.”
Four spots in the field were available in the qualifier and Grant shared medalist honors with Talor Gooch, who tied for 18th in last year’s Sony Open, at 6 under.
Sawada, a Mililani graduate and former University of Hawaii golfer, was among three players at 67 who went to a playoff for the final two spots. Canada’s Corey Conners, who already has a second-place finish at the Sanderson Farms Championship in October, advanced with a par on the first playoff hole, Hoakalei’s par-3 18th. Sawada and Andy Pope then went back to the par-4 17th with the final spot at stake.
Sawada, who had triple-bogeyed 17 after hooking his drive into the water, found the middle of the fairway this time and took a huge advantage when Pope’s shot out of a fairway bunker caught the lip and landed about 30 feet ahead. Sawada’s two-putt par was enough to send him to his third Sony Open.
“You just play it the same,” Sawada said of maintaining his focus. “You don’t try to do anything special just because the situation is more important. Just treat every shot the same and that was my mentality and it really worked.”
Grant will make his second appearance in the Sony Open two years after earning the amateur exemption into the field. He posted rounds of 69 and 71 that week in January 2017 and turned pro later that spring. He moved to Murrieta, Calif., in May and played out of Bear Creek Country Club while advancing to the final stage of Web.com Tour qualifying last month.
He finished seven shots out of earning Web.com status and spent the past month preparing for Monday’s opportunity. He capitalized by posting eight birdies at Hoakalei to give himself the chance to compete at Waialae as a pro.
“I get to kind of focus in this time,” Grant said. “There were a lot of big things going on, first time as an amateur and things like that. So I’ll probably take that experience, and just knowing I’ve been there before adds confidence.”
Sawada made his first Sony appearance through the Governor’s Cup exemption in 2014, then qualified as a pro in 2017 and made the cut with rounds of 68 and 66. He ended the weekend tied for 69th and took home $12,000.
He spent the past two years on the Mackenzie Tour in Canada and made one cut in seven starts last year. But Sawada said the struggles on the tour contributed to his performance on Monday.
“I learned. I didn’t have any success, but I learned a lot,” said Sawada, who strung together four birdies from No. 6 to No. 9 and three more at Nos. 14 to 16 on Monday.
“I always think everything happens for a reason, and now you can see that happened for a good reason. It made me a better player.”
By qualifying on Monday, Grant and Sawada doubled Hawaii’s representation in the 144-player Sony Open field.
Maryknoll sophomore Peter Jung earned the exemption reserved for a local amateur with a 72 at Waialae in the Governor’s Cup team qualifier on Nov. 19.
Eric Dugas of Kihei and Makena Golf Course returns to Waialae for a second straight year after winning the Aloha Section PGA Professional Championship in September and will make his fourth Sony Open appearance this week.
