Luke Clanton is the featured amateur at this week’s Sony Open Field.
But right now, Tyler Loree is a weak amateur.
Loree, 17, from Kula, Hawaii, made his PGA Tour debut after winning the Hawaii State Golf Association amateur qualifier, which is different from the usual Monday qualifier and open only to top Hawaii amateurs. He shot a 5-under 67 on Nov. 18 to win by four strokes at Waialae Country Club, where he returned Thursday to open the Sony Open with another 67, but this time a 3-under score as Waialae played like a by 70 for the Tour Pros.
Loree is three shots away from a six-man logjam for the first, which includes Denny McCarthy, Tom Hoge and Eric Cole.
“Honestly, I was more nervous for qualifying,” said Loree, including all six birdies Thursday, including four in a row starting at No. 7. “Getting here, it’s a great opportunity. I’m so grateful to be a part of this tournament. … I’m not really trying to focus on results, I’m just trying to accumulate good shots.
(Clanton, by the way, shot 1 under as he aims for another top 5, which this time would come with a PGA Tour card he could activate this summer.)
A senior at Seabury Hall High in Maui, Loree won back-to-back Maui Interscholastic League individual championships and added an HHSAA state individual title last year. He is ranked No. 86 in the AJGA National Junior Rankings and signed last November to play college golf at UCLA beginning this fall.
“He really caught my eye with his hard work ethic,” Bruins coach Armen Kirakossian said when Loree signed. “He is constantly working to improve. He asks good questions and you really see that he’s always trying to improve his game. He wants to maximize his game, and we think those are the types of guys that play well and succeed in this sport. Golf is a tough game with so many ups and downs, and Tyler is a young man who truly perseveres through these challenges.
Kirakossian was scheduled to travel to Hawaii to watch Loree compete, but due to fires in the Los Angeles area, Kirakossian stayed with his family at his home, where he is currently under an evacuation warning.
The Sony Open has already seen high school students succeed. In 2007, Tadd Fujikawa, then 16, became the youngest player in 50 years to play on the PGA Tour. He would eventually finish tied for 20th. Kyle Suppa was also 16 when he competed in the Sony Cut in 2015, although he would miss the 54-hole cut at T-76. And of course, Michelle Wie, at 14, nearly qualified at the 2004 Sony, shooting a 68 in the second round and missing the weekend by one shot.
Loree doesn’t take the lead.
“I mean, who knows what can happen tomorrow,” Loree said. “I’m just trying to enjoy the moment as much as possible. … Maybe a little bit of relief. It’s just knowing that I can compete here. But we have another round tomorrow, so see how it goes. Have fun -you tomorrow and count them at the end.
