HONOLULU – Davis Riley birdied 4 of his closing seven holes on the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sony Open on Saturday at windswept Waialae Nation Membership, posting a 3-under 67 to take a two-stroke lead with rounds remaining.
Riley shot a 12-under 198 on the Oceanside course, tied for second with Harry Corridor (66), Chris Gotterup (68) and Kevin Roy (69).
“In these situations, you must make some powerful pars, and when you get an opportunity, attempt to make a number of putts on quick greens with crosswinds and hard placing situations,” Riley mentioned.
Riley recovered from a bogey on the par-3 eleventh and birdied the par-4 twelfth. He hit his wedge 2 ft in on the par-4 14th and 15 ft on the par-4 fifteenth. On the par-5 18th gap, he beat the 60-foot mark by 7 ft and seven.5 ft, finishing a comeback.
“My swing began to really feel actually good and I used to be in a position to get to the beginning line,” Riley mentioned. “A very powerful factor on this wind is to hit the beginning line and management the curvature. I felt like I hit a extremely good holding shot in opposition to the wind and received to the beginning line.”
Riley, 29, is ranked one hundred and first on this planet. He received his solely PGA Tour particular person title on the 2024 Charles Schwab Problem and teamed with Nick Hardy to win the 2023 Zurich Basic.
I received off to a gradual begin on Saturday, hitting bogeys on No. 1 and No. 3.
“I might really feel myself getting just a little nervous and attempting to push myself just a little bit early simply because the offseason is over,” Riley mentioned. “I have not had as a lot aggressive juice in the previous few months. I positively felt like I used to be pushing myself just a little bit early and attempting to excellent it just a little bit. And I used to be just a little nervous.”
Corridor bounced again with a bogey on the fifteenth and birdie on the sixteenth. The British participant received his solely PGA Tour title by profitable a playoff on the 2024 ISCO Championship.
“I will hit the ball the place I need it, and I will decide my windy tee shot to the inexperienced properly,” Corridor mentioned. “I did a greater job of constructing some putts immediately.”
Gotterup completed with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th. He received the 2024 Myrtle Seaside Basic and the 2025 Scottish Open.
“My placing immediately was in all probability probably the most troublesome,” Gotterup mentioned. “Clearly it is arduous to hit a shot on this wind, nevertheless it’s arduous for everybody. I believe a few of the greens are going to be just a little troublesome later within the afternoon after everybody walks. It is not dangerous, however when you’ve gotten a 25 (mph) wind coming from the left and it is a left-to-right shot, it is not simple to hit photographs wherever, particularly right here.”
Roy is undefeated on tour. He shared the first-round lead with defending champion Nick Taylor and was a part of a five-man battle for the highest spot on Friday with Riley, Taylor, SH Kim and Adrian Dumont de Chassard.
Taylor struggled on Saturday with a 70 on the again 9, leaving him three photographs behind Canadians Ryan Gerrard (68) and John Parry (69).
“I labored arduous and gave myself an opportunity for tomorrow,” Taylor mentioned. “That is all you’ll be able to ask for.”
Fellow Canadian Corey Connors shot a 65 to achieve 8 underneath par.
“We prefer it windy right here,” Connors mentioned. “I believe the emphasis was on hitting the ball. We actually managed the ball. We hit loads of good photographs.”
Jordan Spieth birdied the 18th and shot his third 68 to achieve 6 underneath par. Hideki Matsuyama additionally shot a 65, making him 6 underneath. He received at Waialae within the playoffs in 2022.
Vijay Singh shot a 68 and was 4 underneath. The 62-year-old Corridor of Famer is profiting from a one-time profession cash exemption to compete within the full-field occasion. It will likely be his twenty fifth look within the match, which he received in 2005.
The season began per week later than traditional as a result of the Sentry in Kapalua, Maui, was canceled as a consequence of water points.
