Carl Yuan leads the Sony Open in Hawaii, thanks to Jon Rahm’s LIV Golf move

Carl Yuan led the 2024 Sony Open in Hawaii at the end of Day 2. The Chinese golfer posted a 5-under 65 on Friday, moving to 9-under 131 for the tournament. He climbed up the leaderboard and shared the top spot with Austin Eckroat and Byeong Hun An at the end of round 2.

Interestingly, Yuan was unlikely to even play at the event. He made the last spot on the Hawaiian field after Jon Rahm confirmed his move to LIV Golf. For the unversed, Yuan finished No. 126 in the FedEx Cup standings last season.

The 26-year-old golfer wasn’t supposed to have a Tour card for the 2024 season based on his standing. Moreover, he remained ineligible to participate in the Sony Open in Hawaii as he didn’t have full status on the PGA Tour.

However, Yuan’s status changed when reigning Masters champion Rahm confirmed his move to LIV Golf in December. The Spaniard’s defection to the breakaway tour made him ineligible to compete on the American circuit. The move shuffled the PGA and FedEx Cup standings, taking Yuan up a spot to retain his Tour card.

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Carl Yuan on being the 'last guy in' at the Sony Open in Hawaii

The Chinese golfer, who has been a consistent performer on the Korn Ferry Tour since 2019, was elated to get back on the PGA Tour. Speaking at the Sony Open in Hawaii, Yuan noted that he didn’t want to be known as the ‘last guy in.’ Having had ample experience as a rookie, the golfer noted that he is prepared to take on the big events.

Speaking at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, where he is making his 2024 season debut, Carl Yuan was quoted as saying by Golfweek:

“Hopefully not (be known as the last guy in). Hopefully I have my score and performance will kind of cover that part. Yeah, I mean, just looking forward to another year on Tour. With all the learning experience from my rookie year, definitely feel like I’m more prepared for being out here.”

It is pertinent to note that the 26-year-old recorded two top-10 finishes last season. Yuan was in form in the fall when he finished T6 at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He finished one shot out of a playoff in the competition. Yuan also finished T4 at the Butterfield Bermuda Championship.

“I had a couple of chances last year being the final two groups, have a shot on the weekend. Yeah, I feel like I just got to do what I did last two days: be patient and stay committed, know exactly what I’m going to do before I hit a shot and see how it turns out,” Carl Yuan added.

Notably, Carl Yuan is currently in the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii. However, he is far from safe. The rising Chinese star will have to take on the likes of Kurt Kitayama, Taylor Montgomery, Chris Kirk, and Cam Davis, among others to keep the top spot till Sunday.