It was a somewhat frustrating start to the 2025 PGA Tour season for Christiaan Bezuidenhout on Thursday as he was unable to take advantage of an eagle on the 15th on his way to an opening level-par 73 in The Sentry at the Plantation Course at Kapalua in Maui, Hawaii.
It was a steady enough start for the South African as he made a birdie on the fifth to turn in one-under 35 in the first event of the new season, which is a 60-man no-cut ‘Signature Event’ on a tour that keeps getting ore exclusive. But he made bogeys on 11 and 13 as his solid start wobbled a bit.
His eagle came when he took on the right side of the 15th fairway to clear the trees on the dogleg, and then hit a sublime approach 252 yards to inside four feet. He made the putt, but after a penalty drop for an unplayable lie after he pulled his tee shot on 18, he was unable to salvage par on the par-five closing hole.
At level-par, he was in a share 41st, nine strokes off the lead which was held at 64 by Tom Hoge of the United States. Hoge dropped one shot on the front nine in the midst of six birdies, and he picked up four more shots on the homeward nine.
Hoge led by one from compatriot Will Zalatoris and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, with Americans Cameron Young and Collin Morikawa and Canada’s Corey Conners in a share of fourth on seven-under.
