Davis Riley takes the lead after round three at the PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii. Title defense hopes remain close behind.
Davis Riley Takes the Lead Despite Mixed Round
With 74 players making the cut at -1, the PGA Tour weekend in Hawaii was set. On Moving Day, Davis Riley surged to the top of the leaderboard thanks to numerous birdies. Despite an early bogey, the American stayed composed, carding a fluctuating but effective round with three bogeys and six birdies, including one on the final hole.
After the round, Riley spoke about challenging wind and putting conditions: ‘You have to try to hole some putts on the quick greens and in the wind when you have the chance.’
He posted a -3 for the day, bringing his total to -12, leading by two strokes going into the final day over Chris Gotterup, Kevin Roy, and Harry Hall.
Harry Hall Positions Himself for Final Day With Strong Round
Harry Hall posted a strong Saturday with a -4 round, moving up significantly before the finale. Five birdies highlighted his solid performance around and on the greens, with only a bogey on the 15th. Hall previously finished in the top 10 at last year’s Sony Open in Hawaii and could do even better this year.
Title Defense Chances Remain
Defending champion Nick Taylor had to ease back his ambitions on Saturday. Four bogeys and four birdies resulted in an even-par day. He dropped out of the lead with a total of -9 but stayed within striking distance for the final day and a possible title defense.
Corey Conners positioned himself just behind with a strong -5, including seven birdies and two bogeys, moving to -8 total. He caught fire on the back nine with four consecutive birdies from hole 9, posting the best round of the day. The wind did not bother him: ‘I like it when it’s windy here.’
PGA Tour: Vijay Singh Impresses Across Decades
Perhaps the story of the tournament is the 62-year-old Vijay Singh making the cut in four different decades at the Sony Open. This marks his 25th start at this event. The 2005 champion shot a -2 Saturday to improve to -4 overall, currently tied for 32nd going into the final day.