Behind Matsuyama, a shower of record cards on Friday, better for Pavon

The second day of the Sentry, the first tournament of the 2025 season on the PGA Tour, returned to the purest tradition of the beginnings of previous years. A course in foil mode for a new orgy of birdies, and a leader in the person of Hideki Matsuyama (photo) already in -16 total before the weekend.

As if it had taken a warm-up round to allow everyone to get in tune for this year 2025. After a Thursday well below the usual standards in terms of scoring in the Sentrythe 60 best players from last season took the plunge to torture the course with big birdies on Friday, offering an average score of 68 (-5) or two shots better than the day before.

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The only one Tom Hoge had slipped the reference card to 64 (-9) during the day on Thursday. This Friday there are 7 of them playing as well as the Texan, and notably Keegan Bradley the American captain of the Ryder Cup 2025, to densify the summits of the leaderboard after the first two days of competitions on the Pacific coast in Hawaii.

Matsuyama putter master, Morikawa nearby

In this frantic race for birdies and the most prized places on the leaderboard, one man had already taken a lead the day before. The Japanese Hideki Matsuyama simply offered two 65s (-8) in a row to take control of the tournament halfway. A lead built from the tip of a melting putter, but which could have been even more substantial with a little more success at the end of the game.

« There is some frustration finishing like this, but overall I am happy with the position I am in. I feel like all parts of my game are good » explained the Japanese laconically after his game.

The winner of the Sony Open 2022 in Hawaii, will try to win his second tournament in the archipelago and his 11th title on the PGA Tour if he manages to reproduce the same level of play for two days. Because the winner of Masters 2021 will have a lot to do, and in particular with the presence of Collin Morikawa at his side in the last part.

The Californian, one shot behind at -15, takes advantage of an almost flawless game (34 greens in regulation out of 36 this week) to nourish his confidence and try to chase away the demons of the past which had deprived him on several occasions of victory over the Kapalua Plantation Race.

Matthieu Pavon in progress

Four times more birdies than the day before. The French number one therefore needed just one day of adaptation to find his rhythm on the Hawaiian Bermudagrass. Even if reading the greens posed more problems than usual, Matthew Pavon was able to return a card of 70 (-3) or four moves better than the day before.

Provisionally 51st after two rounds, the Frenchman will play this tournament to the end without a cut before flying to Abu Dhabi where he will play the Team Cup next week.

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Images : MADDIE MEYER GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICAGetty Images via AFP