The Starter: Round 2, Sony Open in Hawaii

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Jan. 15, 2010

The second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii is set to begin soon. Here's a look at Friday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time	Players
5:30 p.m. ET, Hole No. 10		Y.E. Yang, Zach Johnson, Davis Love III Johnson, the defending champion, and Love are both tied for the lead after firing first-round 65s.
6:20 p.m. ET, Hole No. 10		Rickie Fowler, Troy Merritt, Matt Jones Q-school medalist Merritt is off to a strong start. Fowler, however, sits in a tie for 125th.
1:00 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1		Troy Matteson, Robert Allenby, Vijay Singh Allenby is a frontrunner after the first round, while Singh is tied for 32nd and hoping to make a move.

MORE ROUND 2: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course | Field analysis

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Fred Albers previews Friday's second round:

Beware of the injured player. Robert Allenby stepped off a curb on Monday and twisted his ankle. He thought of withdrawing from the Sony Open in Hawaii but decided to try and play. Allenby shortened his swing and "tried" his way to a 5-under 65 in the opening round. He hopes the ankle and swing both hold up for the tournament's duration.

Friday's forecast

Mostly sunny
Temp: 81 high/67 low
Sunny and windy with winds from the northeast at 11 mph.

It is always windy on Oahu but the winds at Waialae pose special problems. The trade winds blow across the golf course, which leaves golfers trying to judge a difficult cross wind approach into greens. When a wind is consistently behind or into a hole, golfers can be more aggressive but a cross wind always makes for a guessing game. It's one reason why veteran players seem to play well at the Sony Open. Their experience with local knowledge helps with a cross wind.

Shigeki Maruyama will not mistakenly hit the wrong golf ball this week. He is playing a bright yellow Bridgestone. It's part of a company promotion with Bridgestone as they offer golf balls in several shades this year. Maruyama has always been a colorful player and fits right in with the promotion. Besides, yellow is the color of Hawaiian Royalty.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Todd Jones, head instructor at the TOUR Academy, analyzes the playing conditions at Waialae Country Club.

Not surprisingly, the wind played a large role in the first round of the Sony Open. The best scoring conditions were experienced in the morning wave when the wind was down.

It is not surprising to see defending champion Zach Johnson at the top of the leaderboard, as he has excellent trajectory control and a consistent ball flight. Johnson is a player who curves the ball from right to left (a draw). This ball flight happens to be an advantage at Waialae Country Club, which has five holes that dogleg to the left. I believe that Johnson has emerged as one of the best players in the world because he fully commits to this shot shape, allowing him to take the right side of the course out of play.

Johnson's strategy is something that players of all levels can learn from. Manage your game according to the flight of your ball -- be aggressive only when it fits your shot shape and be more prudent when it does not. Look for Johnson to continue his good scoring in the second round as he will continue to play to his strengths, which serve him very well in the Hawaiian wind.

Thus far at Waialae

Round	Leaders	Low round (par 70)	Key links
	R. Palmer, Z. Johnson, D. Love, T. Merritt, J. Merrick, R. Allenby	65: Six players	Daily Wrap-up \| The Live Report Transcripts

The Film Room

	PGA TOUR Today: Round 1 John Swantek previews the second round of the Sony Open in Hawaii, where six are tied for the lead. Watch it
	Round 1: Highlights Defending champion Zach Johnson shot 65 and tied for the lead after the opening round. Watch it
	Shot of the Day: Quigley Brett Quigley almost aces the par-3 11th hole during the opening round of the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. Watch it