With 65, JT ties 54-hole record
7-shot Sony Open lead
Justin Thomas made a birdie putt on his final hole yesterday to tie the 54-hole record on the PGA Tour and build a 7-shot lead yesterday at the Sony Open.
No one has ever lost a PGA event with a 7-shot lead, and Thomas has given no indication that will change. His goal was to not drop any shots on another calm day at Waialae, and he wound up stretching his lead with a 65 as he goes for a sweep of Hawaii. That last birdie put Thomas at 22-under 188, tying Steve
Stricker’s mark set at the 2010 John Deere Classic.
Thomas got into the record book with an eagle on his last hole in each of the previous two rounds — a 59 on Thursday, and the 36hole scoring record Friday. This time, he poured in the 15-foot birdie putt for the 5-under 65 and stretched his lead over Zach Johnson, who kept pace with a 65.
Kevin Kisner missed a 9-foot eagle putt that would have given him a 59.
Ex-Celtic in lead
Former basketball star Ray Allen, an NBA champion with the Celtics, took the celebrity lead in the Diamond Resorts Invitational in Orlando, Fla., and PGA Tour player Woody Austin remained on top in the pro competition.
Allen shot a 4-under 67 at the Four Seasons Resort, scoring 30 points under the modified Stableford scoring system to push his two-day total 50. Baseball’s Mark Mulder was 3 points back, and defending champion and tennis pro
Mardy Fish was third with 46 points.
Austin followed his opening 59 with a 66 for a 73-point total. Joe Durant was second among the pros at 68 after a 34, and Brandy Jobe earned 32 to reach 65.
Lexi Thompson was tied for ninth (55 points) to top the four LPGA players.
Storm front
Graeme Storm will take a 3-shot lead into the final round of the SA Open in as he bids for his first European Tour title in 10 years.
Storm turned in a thirdround 67 in Johannesburg, South Africa, the same as
Rory McIlroy, who moved into second to set up an intriguing fight in today. He had five birdies in the third round and extended his bogey-free run to 41 holes to leave him at 17-under 199.