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HONOLULU — Keegan Bradley had a kind of days each golfer goals of —the kind the place all the things falls into place.
“Right this moment was a kind of days the place similar to I had nice numbers. I may see each shot,” he stated. “I simply had a blast on the market with Scotty (Vail), my caddie. We simply did an important job collectively.”
Bradley made eight birdies en path to capturing 7-under 63 at Wailae Nation Membership to share the 54-hole within the Sony Open in Hawaii with Grayson Murray at 14-under 196.
For Bradley, all of it started when he struck an ideal drive, an ideal 6-iron and rolled within the birdie putt.
“I simply felt calm all day, which isn’t regular for me,” stated Bradley, an understatement from probably the most fidgety golfers within the sport.
Sony Open: Closing spherical tee instances
Bradley stated he has at all times loved taking part in this event and thought it was a course the place he may win regardless of the very fact he has by no means recorded a top-10 end in 11 earlier appearances. He blamed a balky putter prior to now for his less-than-stellar file. However this week, he has gained greater than two strokes on the greens within the first and third rounds and ranks T-11 for the week. After struggling on the greens when the governing our bodies banned his trusty stomach putter, Bradley’s putter has turn out to be a weapon once more.
“I by no means knew if I’d get again to a stage the place I used to be with the stomach putter,” he stated. “At this level, I really feel like I’ve surpassed it. It took a variety of onerous work and a variety of darkish days.”
He made a clutch sandy at 16 after which stuffed a 6 iron inside 7 ft on the par-3 seventeenth and made the putt.
“Only a good minimize 6 iron into the wind,” he stated.
Bradley is aware of he possible gained’t be capable of depend on hitting so many good pictures within the last spherical, however he’s embracing the prospect to earn his seventh profession PGA Tour title.
“I’ve been right here earlier than and I’ve by no means felt extra assured being on this place,” stated Bradley, who has transformed a 54-hole lead or co-lead into victory simply as soon as in 5 earlier events in his profession. “I now sit up for days like tomorrow.”
Grayson Murray acknowledges the group after making his putt on the primary gap throughout the third spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf event at Waialae Nation Membership. Necessary Credit score: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
Grayson Murray is trying to script his personal redemption story this week on the PGA Tour. He shot 6-under 64 on Saturday to share the 54-hole lead with Bradley.
One week after Chris Kirk, who has been dwelling a lifetime of sobriety, gained The Sentry to kick off the season, Murray, who stated he’s eight months sober, is trying to observe swimsuit.
“Chris is an inspiration,” Murray stated. “You recognize, I feel he’s been fairly vocal about his story as nicely. You’ll be able to see the success after he received sober, how rapidly he had success out right here on Tour, grew to become the participant that he was earlier than and even higher.”
The 30-year-old Murray is again on the PGA Tour after successful twice final season on the Korn Ferry Tour. Murray, who gained the PGA Tour’s 2017 Barbasol Championship as a rookie, stated he’s treating this season as whether it is his rookie 12 months once more.
“I used to be younger and thought I used to be invincible. Wasn’t doing the proper stuff off the course to actually give myself the most effective likelihood to succeed out right here,” he stated.“My scooter accident in Bermuda was actually a low level in my life. You recognize, I’ve clearly been vocal concerning the alcohol use prior to now. I’m over eight months sober now. I’ve a stupendous fiancée that I like a lot and who’s so supportive of me, and my dad and mom are so supportive of me.”
Murray stated he feels at peace on the course and it’s displaying in his golf – rounds of 69-63-64 – have him in place to return to the winner’s circle.
“I understand how to win. I imply, I’m not afraid of the second,” he stated. “I’m not going to again down.”
Sam Stevens hits his tee shot on the 14th gap throughout the third spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf event at Waialae Nation Membership. Necessary Credit score: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
Sam Stevens shot a bogey-free 63 on Saturday. His solely miscue was calling the Tour’s developmental circuit the Net.Com, its former title, as a substitute of the Korn Ferry Tour.
“Perhaps it’s simply engrained in my thoughts. Yeah, my unhealthy to Korn Ferry. My apologies,” Stevens stated.
However he doesn’t need to apologize for his stellar play this week. He ranks first in driving distance and sixth in Strokes Gained: Strategy the Inexperienced. The 27-year-old Stevens is searching for his first victory on the PGA Tour.
“It’s onerous to win out right here. There are a variety of guys that haven’t gained out right here,” he stated. “Yeah, I’m excited to have the chance. I used to be on this place a pair instances final 12 months with an opportunity to win. Generally I performed good and gave myself an opportunity; different instances, not a lot. You simply can’t get too flustered should you make a pair errors early.
“Couple instances final 12 months after I was in competition I let that trouble me a bit of bit an excessive amount of and issues can spiral rapidly, so hopefully I can simply be sort of calm, and if I hit a nasty shot, transfer on to the subsequent one and try to preserve transferring ahead on the market.”
Matthieu Pavon hits his tee shot on the second gap throughout the third spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf event at Waialae Nation Membership. Necessary Credit score: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
It didn’t final too lengthy, however when Matthieu Pavon made birdie on the eighth gap on Saturday, the Frenchman held sole possession of the lead on the Sony Open in his debut as a member of the PGA Tour.
Pavon went on to shoot 3-under 67 and enhance to 11-under and a five-way tie for fourth place heading into the ultimate spherical.
The 31-year-old Pavon went out in 4-under 31 however his birdie binge dried up. He made a three-putt bogey at 15, however then once more he was outdoors the minimize line on Friday after three bogeys in his first six holes . However he made seven birdies, together with 5 in a row to finish the day and has performed his method into the second to final group on Sunday.
Pavon, who gained the Spanish Open on the DP World Tour final season, is one in every of 10 gamers from that circuit to earn a PGA Tour card for this 12 months, the primary time that DP World Tour gamers have had the chance to take action.
“Means all the things,” Pavon stated. “Since I’m a child I dream concerning the PGA Tour, taking part in there, successful there, so having an opportunity to come back right here and play is simply unbelievable.”
Chris Kirk hits his bunker shot on the primary gap throughout the third spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf event at Waialae Nation Membership. Necessary Credit score: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
Chris Kirk didn’t have his finest stuff on Saturday however shot 3-under 67 and is now 40 underneath for his first seven rounds of the 2024 season.
He’s attempting to turn out to be the primary participant to win the primary two occasions of a Tour season since Ernie Els in 2003; he additionally would turn out to be the seventh participant to win each Hawaii occasions throughout their careers, with Cameron Smith performing the feat most not too long ago (2020 Sony Open in Hawaii, 2022 Sentry).
“It’s going to take a decrease spherical than what I hoped it could take going into at present,” he stated. “That’s the way in which it goes. Proud of the way in which I’m taking part in. Hope I can go catch hearth tomorrow.”
Ben An is tied with him after a 68, his seventh consecutive under-par spherical to start out the 2024 season.
“May have been the more serious, fourth place,” he stated. “Coming into this week should you informed me earlier than I began I’d positively take it. Three again, you understand, simply received to tidy issues up tomorrow.”
Ben Silverman earned his PGA Tour card again for the primary time since 2019. He holed out a bunker shot at No. 4 for birdie en path to capturing 64 and climbing into competition for his first win at 11 underneath.
Japan’s Taiga Semikawa is also within the group at 11 underneath (T-4). Little recognized reality, he’s named after Tiger Woods: “I sort of took in his fashion, rising up watching his aggressive fashion, and I feel that sort of matches my character and what I attempted to do taking part in golf right here at present,” stated Semikawa, who made the minimize right here and completed T-67 final 12 months.
Taiga Semikawa celebrates making his putt on the sixteenth gap throughout the third spherical of the Sony Open in Hawaii golf event at Waialae Nation Membership. Necessary Credit score: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports activities
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