Davis Riley takes the lead after round three at the PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii with the title defense battle remaining tight.
Davis Riley Secures Lead Despite Uneven Round
After the cut, 74 players proceeded into the weekend at -1 at the PGA Tour in Hawaii. On Moving Day, Davis Riley surged to the top of the leaderboard thanks to numerous birdies. Despite an early bogey, the American stayed composed and finished a mixed yet effective round with three bogeys and six birdies, including one on the final hole.
Post-round, Riley noted challenging wind and putting conditions: ‘You have to try to sink some putts on these fast greens and in the wind when the chance arises.’
With a day score of -3, Riley stands at -12 overall, carrying a two-shot lead into the final day over closest pursuers Chris Gotterup, Kevin Roy, and Harry Hall.
Harry Hall Moves up With Strong Round Before Final Day
Harry Hall had a powerful Saturday, shooting -4 to climb significantly before the finale. Five birdies highlighted his strong approach and putting performance. He only dropped a bogey on the 15th hole. Last year, Hall achieved a top-10 finish at the Sony Open, and this time even more seems possible for the Englishman.
Title Defense Chances Still Alive
Defending champion Nick Taylor had to ease back his lead ambitions on Saturday with an even-par round featuring four bogeys and four birdies, now sitting at -9 overall. Directly behind him, Corey Conners positioned himself well with an impressive -5 round including seven birdies and two bogeys for a -8 total. Conners found his form on the back nine, starting a streak of four consecutive birdies from hole 9, earning the best round of the day. He welcomed the windy conditions: ‘I like it when it’s windy here.’
PGA Tour: Vijay Singh Impresses Across Decades
Perhaps the highlight of the tournament is 62-year-old Vijay Singh making the cut in four different decades at the Sony Open. This marks his 25th time competing at the event. The 2005 champion shot -2 on Saturday, improving to -4 overall and currently sits tied for 32nd heading into the final day.