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 Thomas closed brilliantly, picking up four strokes in his final
three holes as he went birdie, birdie before capping off his day
with an eagle from 16 feet at the par-four ninth at Waialae Country
Club in Honolulu.
He joined Kuchar (63) and Simpson (66) at 12-under 128, two strokes
ahead of South African Tim Clark and American Troy Merritt.
"I'm very excited for the weekend," 21-year-old Thomas told Golf
Channel after coming within one shot of the course record held by
Davis Love.
"It's a position I haven't been in before. I think that comes with
the territory, being a rookie."
His score came after a quiet start of six straight pars, before the
floodgates opened.
 "I wasn't getting anything going, tried to stay patient, hit some
fairways and got in some spots where I had easier putts and just got
on a roll the last 12 holes," he continued.
World number 11 Kuchar said accuracy off the tee had been the key to
his 63.
"I drove it really well and when you drive it well the course
becomes much more attackable. It was a much better ball-striking
round and I've continued two days of really good putting," he said
First round co-leader Simpson was pleased with another solid day on
the greens with a regular putter, in just his second event since
abandoning the mid-length belly putter after a decade of use.
Clark moved into the hunt after a stance adjustment.
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"I'm standing a little bit taller so I'm getting a bit more width
with my swing and everything seems to be coming off the middle of
the club," he said.
The short-hitting Clark, winner of the Canadian Open last July,
finished equal 25th at last week's Tournament of Champions on the
nearby island of Maui, but the compact Waialae course is more suited
to his game.
Sixteen-year-old local Kyle Suppa made the cut, 10 strokes behind
after a second successive 69.
Suppa, the Hawaii amateur stroke play champion, attends Punahou
School in Honolulu, the same school where U.S. President Barack
Obama was a student.
(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by John
O'Brien)
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