Kuchar maintains lead at Sony Open
LOS ANGELES: Matt Kuchar was model of consistency, shooting a bogey-free 66 on Saturday in the third round of the PGA Tour’s Sony Open in Hawaii to stretch his lead to two strokes over Andrew Putnam
Kuchar used a hot putter to roll in four birdies and missed just two greens in regulation on the Waialae Country Club course in Hawaii to move to 18-under 192 overall.
Kuchar has been one of the steadiest golfers on the tour this season and said the key for him is keeping the ball in play and limiting his mistakes.
“It was awfully steady and bogey free. It is the Golf I like to play to stay out of trouble,” he said.
“I hit more drivers and three woods than most, but I feel comfortable about putting those on the fairways. There are so many dog legs and this rough is nasty.”
PUTNAM STAYS IN HUNT
Putnam, who trailed by one stroke at the halfway stage, shot a three-under 67 to get to 16 under overall.
He closed with a birdie Saturday to cut Kuchar’s lead to just two.
“Didn’t feel as easy as the first two days,” Putnam said. “Still played a good round. Still got a chance.”
Keith Mitchell fired a sevenunder 63 and is tied for third with Chez Reavie (66) on 196.
Veteran Kuchar has a careerbest 54-hole score in Hawaii as the American tries to win for the ninth time on the US PGA Tour.
Kuchar was sliding his way out of the top 50 toward the end of last year, when he failed to make a Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup team for the first time since 2009. But he had a good session with his swing coach in Dallas, and it paid off two weeks later on the Gulf side of the Mexican coast.
The four-time Ryder Cup team member won a bronze medal for the USA at the 2016 Summer Olympics.
The 40-year-old is also trying to win for the second time this season after capturing the Mayakoba Golf Classic in November.
Bryson Dechambeau had a 63 and led a large pack at 11-under 199, seven shots out of the lead for a slim chance at winning unless the leaders come back to the field.
Also tied for fifth were Charles Howell III and 54-year-old Davis Love III, who had one of his better putting rounds.