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HONOLULU — Davis Riley birdied four of the last seven holes Saturday at wind-swept Waialae Country Club for a 3-under 67 and a two-stroke lead with a round left in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sony Open.
Riley was at 12-under 198 on the oceanside course, with Harry Hall (66), Chris Gotterup (68) and Kevin Roy (69) tied for second.
“You got to make some gritty pars in these conditions and just try to make some putts on these fast greens in crosswinds in tough putting conditions when you have a chance,” Riley said.
Riley rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 11th with a birdie on the par-4 12th. He hit a wedge inside 2 feet on the par-4 14th and made a 15-footer on the par-4 15th. On the par-5 18th, he ran his 60-footer 7½ feet past and made the comebacker.
“I just started feeling really good with the swing, and I was hitting my start lines,” Riley said. “That’s the biggest thing in this wind is hit your start lines and control the curvature, and I felt like I was hitting some really good hold shots against the wind and hitting my start lines.”
The 29-year-old Riley is ranked 101st in the world. He won the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge for his lone individual PGA Tour title and teamed with Nick Hardy to win the 2023 Zurich Classic.
He started slow Saturday, making bogeys on Nos. 1 and 3.
“I could feel myself a little tense or trying to force it a little early just because we’re coming off the offseason,” Riley said. “We hadn’t had really any competitive juices like this in a couple months. I definitely felt like I was forcing it a little bit early and trying to be a little perfect, and I just felt a little tense.”
Hall rebounded from a bogey on No. 15 with a birdie on No. 16. The Englishman won a playoff in the 2024 ISCO Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.
“Hitting the ball where I’m looking and doing well judging the wind tee to green,” Hall said. “Did a lot better job today of making some putts.”
Gotterup closed with a 10-foot birdie putt on No. 18. He won the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic and 2025 Scottish Open.
“I would say putting today was probably the toughest,” Gotterup said. “Obviously, hitting shots in this wind is hard, but it’s hard for everyone. I think late in the day some of the greens get a little tough after everyone has walked on them. Not that they’re in bad shape, but when it’s blowing 25 [mph] off your left and you got a left-to-righter, it’s not easy to make anywhere, and especially here.”
Roy is winless on the tour. He had a share of the first-round lead with defending champion Nick Taylor and was part of a five-man logjam at the top Friday with Riley, Taylor, S.H. Kim and Adrien Dumont de Chassart.
Taylor struggled on the back nine Saturday in a 70 that left the Canadian three shots back with Ryan Gerard (68) and John Parry (69).
“I grinded it out and gave myself a chance for tomorrow,” Taylor said. “That’s kind of all you can ask for.”
Fellow Canadian Corey Conners had a 65 to get to 8 under.
“I like when it’s windy here,” Conners said. “I think it really puts a premium on the ball-striking. You really got control your ball. Was able to hit a lot of good shots.”
Jordan Spieth birdied the 18th for his third 68 to reach 6 under. Hideki Matsuyama also was 6 under after a 65. He won at Waialae in a playoff in 2022.
Vijay Singh was 4 under after a 68. The 62-year-old Hall of Famer is using a one-time career money exemption to play in full-field events. He is making his 25th start in the event he won in 2005.
The season started a week later than usual because The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled due to water issues.
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