The 2023 Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii, has featured one very special debutant as cancer sufferer Michael Castillo marked his first appearance on the PGA Tour.
Castillo, 60, is the oldest player in the field this weekend at Waialae Country Club, where star names likes Jordan Spieth and Hideki Matsuyama have been in competition. Having resigned himself largely to senior competitions in recent years, Castillo's entry was a welcome surprise after winning the PGA's Aloha section.
“I thought that opportunity had passed many years ago,” Castillo said of his PGA prospects. “I only played in the section championship because it was at Poipu. The guys said, ‘You’ve got to play.’ I played well, putted good, it was 25 mph wind and I birdied 18 to win.”
