Davis Riley takes the lead after round three at the PGA Tour Sony Open in Hawaii. The race for title defense remains tight.
Davis Riley Takes the Lead Despite a Mixed Round
With 74 players progressing after the cut at -1, the weekend of the PGA Tour in Hawaii began. On the Moving Day, Davis Riley surged to the top of the leaderboard with numerous birdies. Despite an early bogey, the American stayed calm and completed a round that was inconsistent but effective, with three bogeys and six birdies including one on the final hole.
After the round, Riley mentioned challenging wind and putting conditions: \”You have to try to make some putts on the fast greens and with the wind when you get the chance.\”
With a day score of -3, Riley now stands at -12 overall and leads by two strokes over contenders Chris Gotterup, Kevin Roy, and Harry Hall heading into the final day.
Harry Hall Advances with Strong Round Before Final Day
Harry Hall had an impressive Saturday, posting a -4 round that propelled him forward ahead of the finale. Five birdies highlighted his strong performance on and around the greens, with only one bogey at the 15th hole. Hall had previously secured a Top-10 finish at the Sony Open last year and may be in contention for even more this time.
Title Defense Still Within Reach
Defending champion Nick Taylor had to dial back his leadership ambitions on Saturday, recording an even-par round with four bogeys and four birdies each. At -9 overall, he dropped from the lead but remains close enough to contend for title defense on the final day.
Just behind him, Corey Conners positioned himself strongly after a solid -5 round featuring seven birdies and two bogeys. He found momentum especially on the back nine, starting a streak of four consecutive birdies from the ninth hole, earning him the day’s best round. The wind did not bother him: \”I like it when it’s windy here,\” he said.