Tadd Fujikawa, the Moanalua High School sophomore who thrilled the galleries by making the cut at the Sony Open in Hawai'i in January, got off to a slow start today in the first round of a Japan Golf Tour Organization event.

Fujikawa shot a 6-over-par 76 in the first round of the Chunichi Crowns at the Nagoya Golf Club's Wago course (par 70).

The 16-year-old is in a tie for 73rd place.

Hirofumi Miyase and Keiichiro Fukabori are the first-round leaders after shooting 3-under 67s.

Fujikawa started his round on the front nine and parred the first three holes. He ran into trouble on Nos. 4 and 5, where he recorded bogeys.

He followed his bogeys with two more pars and then double bogeyed the par-4 eighth hole. He parred the ninth to finish the front nine at 4-over-par 39.

Fujikawa opened the back nine with pars on 10 and 11, then bogeyed two of the next three holes (No. 12 and 14).

Following a par on the par-5 15th, he recorded his first birdie of the day on No. 16, a par-4.

He bogeyed 17 and parred 18 to close out his round.

Hawai'i's Gregory Meyer is in a group tied for 12th at 71.

Fujikawa tees off today at approximately 4:55 p.m., Hawai'i time, in the second round.