Seamus Power came out firing at the Sony Open in Hawaii, riding a red-hot putter to an opening-round 67 that puts him firmly in the mix as he kicks off his 2026 season.
The 38-year-old from West Waterford looked sharp on the greens at Waialae Country Club, pouring in over 126 feet of putts and gaining more than four strokes with the flatstick - second only to Davis Riley in the field. It was a vintage putting display, the kind that can carry a player deep into the weekend if it holds up.
Power wasted no time getting into a groove. He rolled in a 28-footer at the par-4 10th to start his round and backed it up immediately with a 27-footer at the 11th.
Just like that, he was two under through two holes and brimming with confidence. A precise wedge to three feet at the 16th set up another birdie and gave him a share of the early lead.
There were a couple of blemishes - a bogey at the short 17th after finding the greenside bunker, and another at the par-4 fourth - but Power responded well. He drained a seven-footer for birdie at the third, then dropped 12-footers at both the sixth and seventh to climb to four under. Even when things got dicey, like at the first and second holes, he came up clutch with key par saves to keep the momentum going.
The only real misstep came at his final hole of the day, the par-5 ninth, where a tee shot into the water led to a closing bogey. That dropped him back to three under for the round and into a tie for 29th, alongside players like Robert MacIntyre.
Still, it was a round packed with positives. Power looked composed, confident, and most importantly, in rhythm with the putter - a good sign for a player eager to notch his third PGA Tour win and lock up starts in this season’s majors and signature events.
Up at the top of the leaderboard, Kevin Roy and defending champion Nick Taylor set the early pace with matching eight-under 62s. Both went bogey-free, carding eight birdies apiece to grab a one-shot lead over a group that includes Ben Griffin, SH Kim, Chris Gotterup, and John VanDerLaan.
Taylor acknowledged the conditions played a role. “I think we got lucky with the forecast this morning.
I expected some more wind,” he said. “A lot of the wind is going with the dogleg, so it felt like some of the tee shots maybe weren't as challenging.
I hit it great, but this course fits my eye.”
Meanwhile, Hall of Famer Vijay Singh, playing on a one-time career money exemption, showed he can still compete. Despite two double bogeys, Singh posted a two-under 68 to sit in a tie for 41st with Jordan Spieth.
As for Power, he’ll be looking to build on a strong start. If the putter stays hot - and there’s every reason to believe it might - he could be a factor come Sunday.