HONOLULU — J.J. Spaun received up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th gap Saturday for a 5-under 65, the ultimate birdie giving him a one-shot lead on the Sony Open going right into a ultimate spherical the place greater than a dozen gamers stay within the combine.
Spaun blended bogeys with birdies over the ultimate 4 holes at windy Waialae, the dropped photographs costing him and Patrick Fishburn an opportunity to create some separation.
As an alternative, it’s the identical outdated scene alongside the shores simply east of Waikiki Seashore. This old-school course with its doglegs and deep bunkers and unpredictable Bermuda tough has a means of staying bunched till the very finish.
Stephen Jaeger, the German finest referred to as the one participant to beat Scottie Scheffler within the Houston Open throughout Scheffler’s most dominant stretch final yr, had 9 birdies in a 62 and wasn’t certain the place that would go away him when he completed.
He was one shot behind, together with Fishburn (68) and Eric Cole (67).
Jaeger was six photographs behind going into the third spherical. He additionally had 40 gamers between him and the 2 gamers atop the leaderboard.
“You’re in limbo at that time,” Jaeger mentioned. “You’re both going to have an awesome spherical and have an opportunity or … to shoot an awesome spherical and be in competition is sweet.”
Fishburn, in his Sony debut as a second-year participant out of Utah, was the one participant to achieve 14 beneath along with his birdie on the par-5 ninth to exit in 31 and create some separation. However he made just one birdie the remainder of the best way, blasting a drive 360 yards with the wind at his again and hitting a flip wedge that rolled over the cup. He additionally made three bogeys, and he did not birdie the par 5 closing gap.
Spaun was at 13-under 197.
“I’ve felt fairly calm and relaxed on the market. It’s been a enjoyable week right here in Hawaii,” he mentioned. “It’s all the time laid again and easygoing. I’ve been carrying that mindset on the course, and it’s straightforward to really feel that means when issues are going your means and also you’re taking part in properly. Simply attempt to hone in on that tomorrow and see what occurs.”
Fishburn dropping just a few photographs introduced many again into the event.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley birdied his final two holes for a 64 and was within the group two photographs behind that included Nick Taylor of Canada (65), former Open champion Brian Harman (66) and Nico Echavarria of Chile, the Zozo Championship winner in Japan final fall who performed bogey-free within the wind for a 66.
Tee occasions, groupings and methods to watch the ultimate spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
“As quickly as we made the flip there, the situations received fairly a bit tougher,” Fishburn mentioned. “Lots of the wind was exhausting off the left with pins on the left, so it was a tough setup.”
The group three photographs behind included Lucas Glover and Gary Woodland, who returned from mind surgical procedure on the Sony Open a yr in the past and took till later within the yr earlier than he received his mind functioning the precise means by way of respiration and meditation workout routines.
Woodland, who had a second straight 66, has performed at Waialae sufficient to understand it’s normally bunched — Justin Thomas was the exception in 2017 when he set the PGA Tour’s scoring file at 253 — and {that a} winner can come out of nowhere.
“If you will get scorching, you can also make a run,” Woodland mentioned. “It wouldn’t shock me if somebody got here from behind and posted a quantity. Every part is trending in the precise path. A few guys posted a superb quantity. Hopefully, that’s me tomorrow.”
Jaeger stood out with the low spherical of the event. He made a pair of 20-foot birdies on the entrance 9 — he began on No. 10 — and received a giant increase with a birdie from just below 60 ft on the eighth gap. He completed with a wedge to 4 ft for birdie on the par-5 ninth.
“I performed fairly aggressively off the tee, loads of drivers. If I can get them within the fairways I’ll have loads of shorter photographs in,” Jaeger mentioned. “If you happen to miss the fairways, you’re going to need to be artistic to get these balls on the greens and get good birdie putts. Nothing will change. Sport feels good, so I’m enthusiastic about tomorrow.”
