The first round is on the books at Kapalua with Nick Watney as the early round leader. Most of the field is within striking distance of Watney's five-under par opening round. K.J. Choi, Boo Weekley and Paul Goydos are bringing up the rear of the 31-man field at 6-, 7- and 8-over par.
One good thing about such a short break is that some of the players who were enjoying a good late-season have carried it over to very early 2008. Mike Weir, Steve Flesch, and Stephen Ames are among the leaders at the Mercedes.
Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson decided not to make the trip to Hawaii for the exclusive first tournament of the year.