KAPALUA, Maui >> Tom Kim’s first trip around the Plantation Course came on his first visit to Hawaii.
It certainly won’t be his last.
One of 13 players in the field for the first time, the 20-year-old shot an 8-under 65 to sit one back of the lead after the first round of the Sentry Tournament of Champions on Thursday.
Kim, who is the first player since Tiger Woods to win twice on the PGA Tour before turning 21, made five birdies and had two eagles in a round for the first time in his young PGA career.
He put a ball within 6 feet from 252 yards out on the par-5 15th for his second eagle after holing out from 116 yards on the par-4 sixth.
“I hit a 53 (wedge),” Kim said of the hole-out that took one bounce before dropping in. “It was just a really good number. Great yardage. I wanted to go right at it. It was like literally an inch away from the hole left.”
Kim, who said he’s here in Hawaii only with his trainer, had Christmas dinner with Jordan Spieth at Spieth’s home in Texas.
Both players live in Dallas.
“He was really nice to invite me for Christmas. My family wasn’t home and I was kind of by myself,” Kim said. “It’s been amazing to kind of build a friendship and it was really cool to play with him today.”
Kim, who was a star for the International Team at the Presidents Cup last September, is four years younger than the next-youngest player in the field this week (Sungjae Im). If he wins, he will be the second-youngest to win three times on the PGA Tour since 1900.
Scheffler can’t miss down the stretch
World No. 2 Scottie Scheffler birdied four of his final five holes to a shoot a bogey-free 7-under 66 to sit in a group of six golfers two back of the lead in the first round.
Even more impressive is for just the third time in his career, Scheffler hit all 18 greens in regulation.
The highest ranked player in the field, Scheffler won four times in six starts last year, including the Masters, and tied for 13th in his Kapalua debut.
He hopes to make this a yearly trip.
“I think it’s fun to play,” Scheffler said of the course. “I think you’ve got to get creative out here, hitting a lot of different shots and kind of working your angles around the place and staying out of trouble.”
Scheffler is No. 2 in the world and can jump over Rory McIlroy for the top spot if he can leave Maui with a top-three finish.
FedExCup leader stays under par
Seamus Power began the new year as the FedExCup points leader and shook off some rust to keep an impressive streak going.
Power posted a 5-under 68 to shoot his 13th consecutive subpar round on Tour.
The 35-year-old from Ireland won his second PGA Tour event at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship in October to qualify for the TOC.
In the two tournaments since, he finished T3 at Mayakoba and T5 at the RSM Classic before taking a month off.
“Yeah, definitely,” Power said about being rusty. “Obviously, you’re practicing and stuff, but it’s never quite the same as it’s going to be in tournament play. Kind of a sloppy (round) to start the year off.”
Schauffele dealing with back injury
World No. 6 Xander Schauffele is dealing with a back injury that kept him from playing in Wednesday’s Pro-Am.
It wasn’t going to keep him from playing the Tournament of Champions.
Schauffele, playing in the last group of the day with Justin Thomas, fought through the pain to shoot a 3-under 69.
The 2019 Sentry TOC winner joked that his back was “great” after the round, but then admitted it has affected the speed of his swing.
“Speed’s down. A little powder puffing it out there on a few holes,” Schauffele said. “I’m 29 and (Hero World Challenge in December) was like the first like issue I’ve ever had. So this is new to me. That’s why I don’t know how to answer these questions. I’ve never had to do this.”
