United Airlines Hawaiian Open
Waialae Country Club
Honolulu, Hawaii
12th February- 15th February 1998

Par 72 Prize Money $1.8 million

First Round Report

First Round Scores

Low scores in opening round

Honolulu, Hawaii, 12th February 1998 - John Huston and David Ogrin both fired 9-under-par 63s and are tied atop the leaderboard late in today's opening round of the $1.8 million Hawaiian Open at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

Tom Byrum stands one shot back, while two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange -- winless since 1989 -- heads a group of six golfers at 7-under 65. Others include 1990 winner David Ishii, Mike Reid, Woody Austin, Jeff Maggert and Trevor Dodds.

Tim Herron, Steve Stricker, Paul Goydos and Fulton Allem are three shots off the lead at 6-under 66. Many of the PGA Tour's top players are competing in the Australian Masters.

The conditions were ideal today after weather problems forced each of the last two PGA Tour events to be shortened due to rain.

"You will have a lot of low scores, greens are rolling real well," Ishii said. "No wind and good weather help with low scores, too."

Ogrin started on the back nine and opened his round with four straight birdies. Thanks to his solid iron play, he had three birdie putts inside of 10 feet on holes 10 through 12 before two-putting from 40 feet for another birdie on the par-5 13th.

"I came out of the box and had a flawless nine holes," Ogrin said. "It was as good as I've ever played. It's hard to describe vapor-lock, but that's how I played the front nine."

Ogrin recorded three more birdies on the next five holes for an astounding 7-under 29 on the back side. He finally faltered with a bogey on the par-5 first hole, but rebounded on the following hole with a birdie putt from the fringe. Ogrin also drained birdies on Nos. 6 and 9 to close his round.

"My front was pure and effortless, but the back was miserable," Ogrin said. "The difference in David Ogrin this year is I know it's OK to play miserable once in a while."

Huston had a bogey-free front nine that included four birdies, including two on the par-5s and a 25-foot putt at the par-3 fourth hole.

"I've been playing well, especially on courses that are hard and fast," Huston said. "I was looking forward to this week."

Huston lofted a 6-iron within two feet of the pin on the 178-yard, par-3 11th hole for an easy birdie. His lone mistake of the day came at 12, where he three-putted from 15 feet. But Huston finished strong with birdies on five of the final six holes.

Byrum is coming off arguably the best year of his career, which included two second-place finishes and a career-best 11 top-25 finishes. His only career title came at the 1989 Kemper Open.

The 43-year-old Strange is searching for his 18th tournament win but first since the 1989 U.S. Open.

Reid and 1996 champion Jim Furyk lost last year's event in a playoff to Paul Stankowski, who shot a 67 today. Stankowski has not won on the Tour since coming away with a victory here last year.

The Waialae Country Club is a par-72 layout that measures 7,012 yards. First prize is $324,000.