Defending champion Nick Taylor was sharp with his irons and handled the par 3s at par-70 Waialae Country Club for an 8-under 62, giving him a share of the lead Thursday with Kevin Roy as the PGA TOUR season started at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

Rico Hoey also got off to a solid start, shooting a 3-under 69 highlighted by an eagle and two birdies against two bogeys, keeping himself within striking distance after the opening round.

This is the latest start to the TOUR season because The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled due to water issues. The Sony Open still attracted a strong field, with four of the top 10 players in the world.

Taylor, who won last year in a playoff, and the early starters caught a break when the wind didn’t arrive until the afternoon. Only four players from the top 16 on the leaderboard played late.

“I think we got lucky with the forecast this morning. I expected some more wind,” Taylor said. “A lot of the wind is going with the dogleg, so it felt like some of the tee shots maybe weren’t as challenging. I hit it great, but this course fits my eye.”

Taylor made birdie on three of the par 3s. The one par 3 he didn’t birdie produced what he felt was his best swing of the day — a 4-iron to the top shelf on the difficult fourth hole that left a 25-footer he narrowly missed.

The Canadian was pleased, though not surprised, with his game despite this being the first event of the year. He played just enough in the offseason to stay sharp while still getting rest, competing only in Mexico and then the Nedbank Golf Challenge in South Africa.

Roy opened fast with seven birdies in his first 11 holes and finished with a birdie on the par-5 18th.

S.H. Kim played late and birdied his final three holes in a bogey-free round for a 67. He was grouped with Ben Griffin, coming off a three-win season and a Ryder Cup debut, and Genesis Scottish Open champion Chris Gotterup.

Vijay Singh, the 62-year-old Hall of Famer using a one-time career money exemption, had two double bogeys and still managed a 68. Also at 68 was Jordan Spieth, who had six birdies against four bogeys and a late club change he figures cost him 2½ shots.

Spieth put a 3-iron in the bag instead of his hybrid.

“The problem is I had four months to get ready for this week,” Spieth said. “I dug five 3-irons out, hit them before I came here, brought them all, and then tried to figure out which one I liked. They were all good — I just haven’t been playing with it. I think I’m going back to the hybrid.”

Robert MacIntyre of Scotland and Adam Scott were also at 67. Scott’s tee shot on the par-5 ninth to finish his round hit the net lining the driving range and settled in the mesh just inches outside the out-of-bounds stakes. He had to return to the tee, hit 6-iron to 4 feet, and saved par.

Scott traveled from Australia and figured Waialae — one of his favorite courses — was conveniently on the way to California for his next two starts.