HONOLULU (AP) – Russell Henley scored the lowest 36-hole score of his career on a course where he won his first PGA Tour event, and he knew better to expect it all to fall into place.
He did just enough on Saturday at Sony Open, especially in the final hour when he performed key putts for birdie, par and a bogey.
This resulted in a card of 3-67 and a two-stroke lead over Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, who took only 25 putts and doesn’t know exactly how some of them came. Matsuyama had a 63, his 12th consecutive round in the 60s this season from the CJ Cup in Las Vegas.
Henley had a four-stroke lead over Canadian Adam Svensson of Surrey, C.-B., who managed a birdie on his final hole for a 5-under 65 and a tie for third.
“I thought it wouldn’t be as easy as the first two days,” said Henley, who started with rounds of 62-63. “That’s not how golf works. I had no intention of making bogeys, but I certainly didn’t expect to pull 8 slot again. But at the same time I felt really good in my game all day. I was never really too nervous or too far ahead of myself.”
He had chances to panic.
Henley misjudged his lie in a thicker rough than usual for Waialae just to the left of the fairway on the 13th hole, came out of the green in a rough plus, threw the next shot into a bunker and sank a 6-foot putt just to save the bogey.
“It was a nice stop, instead of doing the double,” Henley said. “I had nice hole putts on the track. I’m really grateful and happy for the way I putt.”
Henley took the lead with a 12-foot birdie on the 15th hole. He held it by avoiding a long three-putt at the 16 and making an 8-foot comeback. He made a 15-footer on the 17 to create a cushion.
He was an 18-under 192 and will be associated with Matsuyama, as popular in Honolulu as any PGA Tour stop outside Japan.
Matsuyama will earn his second win of the season — he won the Zozo Championship outside Tokyo last fall-and the eighth of his career, which would tie him with K.J. Choi of South Korea for the most wins by an Asian player.
It’s hardly a race for two in Waialae, a course with a history of players coming out of the pack with something in the 60s, and such a score is certainly possible under these conditions.
IRISHMAN Seamus Power managed a birdie on his last two holes for a 65, leaving him four strokes behind Matt Kuchar (67), Svensson (65) and Chinese Haotong Li, who was in the stroke until a difficult end.
Li had a after hit with four holes to play. But then Henley managed a birdie on the 15th, and Li spoiled the 16th hole, which bends to the left around the houses and towards the Pacific, the big “w” of palm trees behind the green.
Li left to the left of the tee. He went well with his shot, about 20 yards over the 17th tee. He chopped short and long and took two putts for a double bogey. That left him four strokes behind, but he didn’t lose his sense of humor.
With his start on a decent line at the start of the par-3 17th, Li said loudly enough that the gallery heard: “Hole-in-one, please.”Not such a chance. He missed a birdie putt from just 15 feet and ended with a long birdie from two putts and still had hope.
Lucas Glover (64) and Kevin Kisner (65) dated, with five strokes behind.
Corey Conners, of Listowel, Have., managed a round of 1 under by making a 15-foot putt for eagle on the 18th hole. He fell in the final round tied for 18th place.
It all depends on Henley, who won the Sony Open at the first tournament of his rookie season. This was his only win in the five times he had at least a share of the 54-hole lead. Nevertheless, his putting and comfort help in Waialae.
“Russell seems to be the guy when he goes forward and plays well and confident, he seems to be up to the opportunity,” Kisner said. “I think he will be a tough competitor to beat.”
Matsuyama took the task, especially after in his round. He managed a 40-foot putt for oiselet on the 13th, then he managed a 15-foot hole for the par on the next hole.
He retired well with a 4 iron at the start of the 15th tee, a smart gesture, because he was on the right side of the fairway with a large tree blocking his way to the needle to the right of the green. He had an iron at 8 and enough room to send it over the tree at 15 feet for another bird.
“Putting was a highlight today. Even my missed putts found the hole,” Matsuyama said through an interpreter. “I was lucky today.”
