HONOLULU — J.J. Spaun acquired 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 pictures costing him and Patrick Fishburn an opportunity to create separation.
As an alternative, it is the identical previous scene alongside the shores simply east of Waikiki Seaside. This old-school course with its doglegs, deep bunkers and unpredictable Bermuda tough has a manner of maintaining the highest of the leaderboard bunched till the tip.
Germany’s Stephen Jaeger, greatest generally known as the one participant to beat Scottie Scheffler within the Houston Open throughout Scheffler’s most dominant stretch final 12 months, had 9 birdies in a 62 and wasn’t certain the place that would depart him when he completed.
He was one shot behind, together with Fishburn (68) and Eric Cole (67).
Jaeger was six pictures behind going into the third spherical. He additionally had 40 gamers between him and the 2 gamers atop the leaderboard.
“You are in limbo at that time,” Jaeger mentioned. “You are both going to have a terrific spherical and have an opportunity or … to shoot a terrific spherical and be in rivalry is sweet.”
Fishburn, in his Sony debut as a second-year participant out of Utah, was the one participant to succeed in 14 below because of 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 didn’t birdie the par 5 closing gap.
Spaun was at 13-under 197.
“I’ve felt fairly calm and relaxed on the market. It has been a enjoyable week right here in Hawaii,” he mentioned. “It is all the time laid again and easygoing. I have been carrying that mindset on the course, and it is easy to really feel that manner when issues are going your manner and also you’re enjoying properly. Simply attempt to hone in on that tomorrow and see what occurs.”
Fishburn dropping just a few pictures introduced many again into the match.
Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley birdied his final two holes for a 64 and was within the group two pictures behind that included Nick Taylor of Canada (65), former British 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.
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“As quickly as we made the flip there, the circumstances acquired fairly a bit more durable,” Fishburn mentioned. “A whole lot of the wind was onerous off the left with pins on the left, so it was a difficult setup.”
The group three pictures behind included Lucas Glover and Gary Woodland, who returned from mind surgical procedure on the Sony Open a 12 months in the past.
Woodland, who had a second straight 66, has performed at Waialae sufficient to know it is often 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 would not shock me if somebody got here from behind and posted a quantity. Every little thing is trending in the correct path. A few guys posted quantity. Hopefully, that is me tomorrow.”
Jaeger stood out with the low spherical of the match. He made a pair of 20-foot birdies on the entrance 9 — he began on No. 10 — and acquired a giant increase after a birdie from slightly 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, quite a lot of drivers. If I can get them within the fairways, I will have quite a lot of shorter pictures in,” Jaeger mentioned. “When you miss the fairways, you are going to must be inventive to get these balls on the greens and get good birdie putts. Nothing will change. Sport feels good, so I am enthusiastic about tomorrow.”
