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Matt McQuillan can honestly say he was not a nervous wreck on the first tee at his first career PGA Tour event.
The Kingston golfer got the jitters out of the way earlier.
“I was definitely way more nervous on the practice tee,” McQuillan, 29, said. “Once I settled down and just started hitting some shots, I just stuck to the basics. I felt pretty good and I hit it great most of the day.”
The scorecard backed up McQuillan’s thoughts. The professional journeyman shot a 2-under 68 on Friday in the rain-delayed opening round of the Sony Open in Honolulu — an outstanding start for the recent PGA Tour Qualifying School graduate.
With heavy rains washing out a practice round on Wednesday and the first round Thursday at the Waialae Country Club, McQuillan showed no signs of rust, notching seven birdies on the day.
After the conclusion of his morning round, McQuillan stood in the top 10, four strokes behind Stuart Appleby of Australia. McQuillan’s score matched those posted by notable names like Davis Love III and John Daly.
“It all seems a bit surreal,” McQuillan said. “It’s definitely right where you want to be.”
