It’s not how you start. It’s how you finish.
Cameron Smith showed that at last year’s Sony Open in Hawaii. Smith won despite playing his first two holes in 4 over par, including a triple-bogey on his second hole of the tournament.
Smith is the only player in the ShotLink era (since 2003) to win after playing his first two holes in 4 over par. He’s also one of just 10 players since 1990 to win after making a triple-bogey (or worse) in the opening round.
Smith is in strong company, as Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Rory McIlroy, Greg Norman, Davis Love III and Sergio Garcia have also done it. It may come as no surprise that Mickelson is the only player on the list twice.