Henley two shots clear of Matsuyama
HONOLULU: Russell Henley fired five birdies in a three-under-par 67 on Saturday to stay atop the leaderboard at the Sony Open, where Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama was two shots back.
Henley, who won the first of his three US PGA titles in his tour debut at the Sony Open in 2013, couldn’t match the fireworks of Friday at Waialae Country Club.
But his 18-under-par total of 192 was enough to stay in front of Matsuyama, who charged up the leaderboard with a seven-under par 63 that featured seven birdies.
Henley shook off an early bogey with birdies at the seventh and ninth to make the turn one under for the day.
After a 14-foot birdie at the 11th he gave a stroke back at 13 before pushing his lead to two strokes with a birdie at 15 and a 16-foot birdie putt at the 17th.
He was unable to take advantage of the par-five 18th, where he was in the right rough off the tee and his second shot left him 150 yards to the pin.
“I was trying to lay it up more to like a wedge distance, so I could attack the pin,” Henley said. “I just misjudged my lie in the rough tremendously.”
Matsuyama said putting was the key to his seven-under effort, which gave him a career-best 54-hole score.
“Even my missed putts found the hole,” Matsuyama said after another bogey-free round.
He got things going with a ninefooter at the second and rolled in a fivefoot birdie putt at the seventh. He twoputted from 47 feet to birdie the par-five ninth and rapped in a four-footer at 12.
After making a 13-foot birdie at the 15th, Matsuyama missed the green with his second shot at the par-five 18th and chipped to 13 feet, rolling that in for one last birdie.
LEADING THIRD ROUND SCORES (USA unless noted, par-70)
192 — Russell Henley 62-63-67
194 — Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 66-65-63
196 — Adam Svensson (CAN) 64-67-65, Seamus Power (IRL) 63-68-65, Matt Kuchar 64-65-67, Li Haotong (CHN) 63-65-68
197 — Lucas Glover 67-66-64, Kevin Kisner 68-64-65 198 — Russell Knox (SCO) 67-67-64, Cam Davis (AUS) 66-66-66