American Davis Riley fired six birdies and three bogeys on Saturday at the Sony Open in Hawaii to close with a 3-under 67 and retain the lead by two shots at 12-under.
He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Putting (11.564) and birdies (20).
“Early on got off to a slow start and definitely wasn’t an ideal start. In those conditions you want to get off to a fast start, especially the first couple holes. You get some pars on those first five holes you feel like you can put together a pretty good rounds coming in,” said Riley.
“[Then] I just started feeling really good with the swing and I was hitting my start lines. 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.
“I mean, priority No. 1 was hitting the fairway. Feel like when I’m hitting the fairway around here my irons feel pretty good, so I feel like that opens up the rest of my game.
“I could feel myself a little tense or trying to force it a little early just because we’re coming off the offseason. 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.
“I think the slow start settled me in and I started really getting detailed on my targets, seeing start lines and curvature. Yeah, I defensively settled in nicely and I started to just free up my swing a little bit.”
The 29-year-old seeks his third win on the PGA Tour in his 131st start (2023 Zurich Classic of New Orleans/with partner Nick Hardy; 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge).
Riley holds his third 54-hole lead/co-lead on Tour (1-for-2 to date); 2022 Valspar Championship (2nd), 2024 Charles Schwab
Challenge (1st).
England’s Harry Hall made a single bogey for a 66 and moved into a share of second place at 10-under. The 28-year-old seeks his second win in his 90th start on Tour (2024 ISCO Championship). He leads the field this week in Scrambling (11 of 13).
American Chris Gotterup carded a 68 having made a pair of bogeys and joined the tie for second. The 26-year-old seeks his third win in his 69th start (2024 ONEflight Myrtle Beach Classic, 2025 Genesis Scottish Open).
Finally also in second place lies American Kevin Roy who also shot two bogeys and recorded a 69 to equal his low 54-hole score (200/third time). He leads the field in Strokes Gained: Around the Green (4.648). The 35-year-old seeks his first win in his 62nd start (best finish: T3/2025 John Deere Classic).
2005 Sony Open in Hawaii champion Vijay Singh of Fiji carded a 2-under 68 having made three birdies and one bogey and lies in T32 at 4-under. He made his 507th cut this week, passing Stewart Cink for the sixth-most cuts made since 1983 and the oldest player to make a cut since Fred Couples (2023 Masters Tournament/63 years, 6 months, 5 days).
Aon Swing 5
The Sony Open in Hawaii, the first event of the 2026 PGA Tour Season, is the first opportunity for players to earn FedExCup
points towards the Aon Swing 5 with entry into each of the next two Signature Events (AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, The Genesis Invitational).
The top five players, not otherwise exempt, who earn the most FedExCup points during the Sony Open in Hawaii, The American Express, Farmers Insurance Open and the WM Phoenix Open will qualify for those two events.