Merritt’s own PGA pro has started the new year with a solid showing after eighteen holes at the Sony Open.
Roger Sloan shot a three under par 67 at the opening round of the tournament in Hawaii on Thursday, setting himself up in the top fifty heading into the second round.
After shooting par on the opening hole, Sloan sunk a putt of almost 16 feet to birdie the par four second hole, while also adding birdies on the fifth and ninth holes to close out the front nine bogey-free.
He rode pars from the tenth to the sixteenth, before holing his first bogey on the par three seventeenth after leaving a lengthy par putt just short.
Bouncing back with a birdie to close out the round, Sloan sits tied for fortieth place heading into his Friday round, five shots back of leaders Peter Malnati and Jason Kokrak.
He tees off at 1:30p.m. Friday for his second round.
The Sony Open is Sloan’s first tournament in over a month, taking some time off after missing the cut in early December at the Mayakoba Golf Classic.
Thursday’s score was a welcome return to form for the golfer, who finished tied for 23rd, 16th, and 32nd in the three prior tournaments.
Sloan has so far earned $156,339 in the 2021 PGA season through the course of six events played.
