Justin Thomas shot a 59 during the first round of the Sony Open. (Getty)
The Sony Open got off to a blazing start Thursday.
For Justin Thomas, at least.
Thomas shot an 11-under 59 at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, to become the youngest player to hit that number. It was the seventh time in PGA Tour history a player carded a 59. Jim Furyk accomplished the feat most recently, during the second round of the 2013 BMW Championship.
He closed with an eagle to put his name in the record books. Thomas won last week’s SBS Tournament of Champions at 22-under, his third career PGA Tour title.
The 2017 event has a total purse of $6 million, of which the winner takes home $1.08 million. That share is up $76,000 from the 2016 amount.
Last year’s champion, Fabian Gomez, took home $1.004 million for his victory.
In addition to Thomas and Gomez, the 2017 Sony Open field includes Jordan Spieth, Justin Rose, Russell Knox and Zach Johnson.
Sony Open 2017 Prize Money Breakdown
Total Purse: $6 million
Winning Share: $1.08 million
Player Payouts: TBD
Defending Champion: Fabian Gomez ($1.004 million)
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