Marc Leishman at the 7th hole today – photo Getty Images
Marc Leishman headed into today’s final round of the Sony Open at the Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, knowing he needed something special if he was to challenge for the title.
He did just that by producing a third consecutive round of 65 but, as good as his week had been, it was not enough to hold off the winner, Kevin Na, and joint runners-up, Chris Kirk and Joaquin Niemann.
Leishman tied for 4th which was his second best finish in 12 starts at the Sony Open, just one spot behind his 3rd place finish two years ago. He has made all 12 cuts in the event, this being his 4th top ten in that time so it is clear it is a golf course fits the eye of Marc Leishman.
Leishman recovered from a slow start to his round with a back nine of 30 and when he hit a 3 iron to 25 feet behind the hole at the last, an eagle possibility presented itself to take a share of the lead.
The putt finished short but the resulting birdie had him one behind although others on the golf course still had their chance to move ahead and so they did.
“I got off to a rough start,” said Leishman. “I had to chip out sideways twice on the front nine, one left-handed. I hate doing that. So that was disappointing. But fought back well. Hit a great shot on 18 and I’ve seen guys leave that putt before, and I was telling myself don’t leave it short and it’s a really slow putt.
“Yeah, that’s really disappointing. See how it ends up. I don’t think it’s going to be good enough but happy to get the competitive juices flowing again and put me in a good spot going into Torrey Pines in a couple weeks.
Leishman will be defending his Farmers Insurance title at Torrey Pines in two weeks so this and a solid week on Maui last week has been an encouraging start to the year.
Matt Jones began the final round a long way off the pace but raced to the turn in 31, an eagle at the 9th after a brilliant second, getting him within one of the lead at that stage. He was unable to keep that pace but his round of 64 has seen him finish in a share of 11th place, a very nice start to 2021.
Cameron Davis finished 31st, Adam Scott 41st and Aaron Baddeley also in 41st place after his final round of 72 saw him lose 28 positions.
Defending champion Cameron Smith would also lose ground over the final round and eventually tied for 62nd.
The winner Kevin Na won his 5th PGA Tour title with an impressive display of putting over the closing stages, four birdies over his final six holes including one at the last edging him clear of last week’s runner-up on Maui, Joaquin Niemann, and Chris Kirk.
For Na, just an average length hitter on the PGA Tour, it reinforced the need for him to take advantage of the golf courses remaining on the PGA Tour which suit his game.
“Yeah, it feels great,” said Na. “I felt like Waialae is a golf course I really have a chance at, and there’s not too many of these left anymore, so I have to take advantage of it. What a great feeling to win at a golf course I really feel like I can win at.
“So I think on a golf course like this, fairway is a premium, and a guy that puts it in play and has got — a guy like me has got a good chance, and I don’t feel like I’m at such a disadvantage, and mentally, already there, I’m able to compete. Some weeks, mentally it’s tough because you know going into the week you’re at such a disadvantage.”
Early in the week Na was facing the possibility fo missing a start in the event for the third consecutive year.
“Two years in a row I’ve been here and wasn’t able to tee it up because of injuries. This year, Wednesday morning in Pro-Am, warming up and I hit one hard and I pulled my rib and I didn’t know what to expect. My trainer that I just added to the team, Cornel Driessen, he helped me out a lot.
“We worked on, it loosened it, and the next day I woke up, it felt great and felt like nothing happened. Had he not been here, I don’t know, might have been a different story.
“It felt good during the whole week. I was swinging well, putting well, and a couple things went my way, a couple bounces here there, and that’s what you need.
Kirk produced his impressive result at a time when he needed to most. He needed a top 3 finish here to regain his PGA Tour status after playing on medical exemption of late. This was his last throw of the dice and he delivered.
“It’s incredible. I would have never guessed that it would work out this way this week, needing a top three finish to keep going. But you can see how much things of out of your control and when you play well and things work out thankfully.
“I’m so thankful to have the support of my family through these last few years, especially, it’s been incredible when they probably were — you could have called them crazy for supporting me but my wife, Tahnee, and my boys, Sawyer, Foster, Wilder, I just love them so much and I can’t wait to see them.”
The PGA Tour now moves back to the mainland for the American Express event in La Quinta.
Kevin Na and his trophy – Getty Images Shamus Gregory
Ever Present Sungjae Im Leads American Express
The American Express Championship, being played in La Quinta in California has reached the halfway stage and the South Korean, Sungjae Im, has taken a one-shot lead as the field now focuses its attention on the host venue, the PGA West Stadium Course.
Played over two venues during the opening two rounds the field has now been cut to the 72 players who made it to the weekend, three of them Australians.
Cameron Davis and Matt Jones are the best of the Australians at present, rounds of 68 and 70 having Davis in a share of 16th place. Davis bogeyed his final hole after driving it into hazard left of the fairway but his round was a solid recovery from an early bogey and he finds himself just five shots off the pace set by Im.
Jones, too, is tied for 26th, his round of 68 over the Nicklaus Tournament course today seeing him improve 35 places and to the edge of contention.
Despite a bogey at his final hole today, Rhein Gibson was the other Australian to make the cut just sneaking inside the required mark with his round of 70.
Matt Jones along with Cameron Davis, the leading Australian – file photo Bruce Young
For the leader, Im, his effort to date this week is a continuation of some impressive previous performances in this particular event. He has been 10th and 12th in his two appearances here to date and the rapidly developing star has a comfort zone at the venue.
“I feel comfortable playing at the American Express and visually from the tee box it’s a course that I really like and enjoy to play,” said Im. “So I feel really comfortable throughout the round and the two courses that we’re playing this week, I like those courses and that’s what led me to a good score.
“I was also struggling with my putting leading up to this week, so I worked on my putting a lot and especially for today’s round I feel like my mid-range putts were really doing well, I dropped a lot of mid-range putts and that’s what led me to a good score today.”
Im is now the 18th ranked player in the world and has developed into one of the most consistent performers in the men’s game. He was joint runner-up at the Masters in November and has already won on the PGA Tour when successful at the Honda Classic last year.
Deyen Lawson Leads Gippsland Super 6 Through 36 Holes
Deyen Lawson – file photo courtesy of PGA of Australia
The 2021 PGA Tour of Australasia is underway with the staging of the Gippsland Super 6 event at the Yallourn Golf Club in Yallourn, about and hour east of Melbourne.
The second round of 54 holes stroke-play was completed today with one more round tomorrow before the leading 24 players will face off in six-hole medal match play contests on Sunday to determine the winner of the $125,000 event.
With Covid 19 impacting on the more international events such as the Vic Open and the New Zealand Opens, the series of lesser events on the PGA Tour of Australasia schedule will be the only opportunity for many Australians not eligible for events on the PGA and European Tours to test their competitive skills.
The NSW Open in late March will be the highlight of the events in the first few months of the year, but the lesser tournaments preceding that $400,000 event will provide an opportunity for eligible players to have their games in shape by then.
The leader after round two at the Yallourn Golf Club is the Gold Coast based Victorian Deyen Lawson who has very limited status on the European Tour but not enough to be playing some of the early season events being played in the Middle East at present.
Lawson has yet to win an event on the PGA tour of Australasia or on any recognised tour for that matter but he has been twice runner-up against fields of similar quality to that he faces this week and his start to the event has been encouraging.
Lawson who is a partner of former playing, now teaching professional, Ali Orchard, now lives on the Gold Coast where he has been tweaking his game in recent months after returning from Europe after being stranded by the Covid 19 issues.
He has played a lot of golf over that time playing at RACV Royal Pines and his game is clearly in good shape in an event which heads into the final round of its match-play phase tomorrow before the leading twenty-four qualifiers tackle the medal match play contests.
Dawson leads by two over Dimi Papadatos with South Australians Jason Norris and Peter Cooke, Queensland’s Charlie Dann and Victorian, Ben Eccles, tied for 3rd two behind Papadatos.
SCORES
Five Australians Tackle American Express in La Quinta
Cameron Davis – this might be an opportunity for the now US based Sydney golfer – Bruce Young
Following two weeks enjoying the pleasures of Hawaii, the PGA Tour hits the mainland this week for the American Express at the PGA West Stadium Course in La Quinta in California.
The event is played over two courses, the Nicklaus and Stadium Courses at PGA West, over the first 36 holes, the field flip-flopping between the two on Thursday and Friday before the final two rounds are played at the host course, the Stadium Course over the weekend.
Five Australians are in this week’s field, Matt Jones’ improved showing at last week’s Sony Open perhaps leaving him the best placed Australian to do well this week.
Jones has played this event well on occasions in the nine occasions he has appeared here. His best was when 8th in 2010 when the event was played over three courses and was a 90-hole event.
He also ran 13th in 2014 and although he has missed the cut in each of his last two attempts in the event his impressive final day effort in Honolulu gives him some hope of at least being the leading Australian this week.
Aaron Baddeley also had an improved week last week despite a disappointing final day but does not have much to get excited about in this event previously.
Cameron Davis will play the tournament for the third occasion, having finished inside the top 30 on his two visits to date. Six of his eight rounds have been in the 60’s and any improvement on that might just see him contending for a high finish this week.
Davis has been playing solidly if not spectacularly of late, but this might well be a week for the talented youngster to step up to the plate.
Rhein Gibson and Cameron Percy are the remaining Australians in the field but neither are in particularly good form at present.
Percy plays his first event of the year and has yet to make the cut in this event in six previous visits so his chances appear slim of even making the weekend.
Gibson has missed his last four cuts on the PGA Tour and has yet to make the weekend in this event.
Of the more fancied chances, I gave Sungjae Im a chance last week in Honolulu but he was only average. He was, though, 5th the previous week on Maui and given he has been 10th and 12th in his two appearances in this event then he appears a likely prospect to contend.
Close But No Cigar for Marc Leishman
Marc Leishman at the 7th hole today – photo Getty Images
Marc Leishman headed into today’s final round of the Sony Open at the Waialae Country Club near Honolulu, knowing he needed something special if he was to challenge for the title.
He did just that by producing a third consecutive round of 65 but, as good as his week had been, it was not enough to hold off the winner, Kevin Na, and joint runners-up, Chris Kirk and Joaquin Niemann.
Leishman tied for 4th which was his second best finish in 12 starts at the Sony Open, just one spot behind his 3rd place finish two years ago. He has made all 12 cuts in the event, this being his 4th top ten in that time so it is clear it is a golf course fits the eye of Marc Leishman.
Leishman recovered from a slow start to his round with a back nine of 30 and when he hit a 3 iron to 25 feet behind the hole at the last, an eagle possibility presented itself to take a share of the lead.
The putt finished short but the resulting birdie had him one behind although others on the golf course still had their chance to move ahead and so they did.
“I got off to a rough start,” said Leishman. “I had to chip out sideways twice on the front nine, one left-handed. I hate doing that. So that was disappointing. But fought back well. Hit a great shot on 18 and I’ve seen guys leave that putt before, and I was telling myself don’t leave it short and it’s a really slow putt.
“Yeah, that’s really disappointing. See how it ends up. I don’t think it’s going to be good enough but happy to get the competitive juices flowing again and put me in a good spot going into Torrey Pines in a couple weeks.
Leishman will be defending his Farmers Insurance title at Torrey Pines in two weeks so this and a solid week on Maui last week has been an encouraging start to the year.
Matt Jones began the final round a long way off the pace but raced to the turn in 31, an eagle at the 9th after a brilliant second, getting him within one of the lead at that stage. He was unable to keep that pace but his round of 64 has seen him finish in a share of 11th place, a very nice start to 2021.
Cameron Davis finished 31st, Adam Scott 41st and Aaron Baddeley also in 41st place after his final round of 72 saw him lose 28 positions.
Defending champion Cameron Smith would also lose ground over the final round and eventually tied for 62nd.
The winner Kevin Na won his 5th PGA Tour title with an impressive display of putting over the closing stages, four birdies over his final six holes including one at the last edging him clear of last week’s runner-up on Maui, Joaquin Niemann, and Chris Kirk.
For Na, just an average length hitter on the PGA Tour, it reinforced the need for him to take advantage of the golf courses remaining on the PGA Tour which suit his game.
“Yeah, it feels great,” said Na. “I felt like Waialae is a golf course I really have a chance at, and there’s not too many of these left anymore, so I have to take advantage of it. What a great feeling to win at a golf course I really feel like I can win at.
“So I think on a golf course like this, fairway is a premium, and a guy that puts it in play and has got — a guy like me has got a good chance, and I don’t feel like I’m at such a disadvantage, and mentally, already there, I’m able to compete. Some weeks, mentally it’s tough because you know going into the week you’re at such a disadvantage.”
Early in the week Na was facing the possibility fo missing a start in the event for the third consecutive year.
“Two years in a row I’ve been here and wasn’t able to tee it up because of injuries. This year, Wednesday morning in Pro-Am, warming up and I hit one hard and I pulled my rib and I didn’t know what to expect. My trainer that I just added to the team, Cornel Driessen, he helped me out a lot.
“We worked on, it loosened it, and the next day I woke up, it felt great and felt like nothing happened. Had he not been here, I don’t know, might have been a different story.
“It felt good during the whole week. I was swinging well, putting well, and a couple things went my way, a couple bounces here there, and that’s what you need.
Kirk produced his impressive result at a time when he needed to most. He needed a top 3 finish here to regain his PGA Tour status after playing on medical exemption of late. This was his last throw of the dice and he delivered.
“It’s incredible. I would have never guessed that it would work out this way this week, needing a top three finish to keep going. But you can see how much things of out of your control and when you play well and things work out thankfully.
“I’m so thankful to have the support of my family through these last few years, especially, it’s been incredible when they probably were — you could have called them crazy for supporting me but my wife, Tahnee, and my boys, Sawyer, Foster, Wilder, I just love them so much and I can’t wait to see them.”
The PGA Tour now moves back to the mainland for the American Express event in La Quinta.
Kevin Na and his trophy – Getty Images Shamus Gregory
Australians Not Without Hope at Sony Open
Tournament leader, Brendan Steele looking to go one better than last year – Getty Images
Marc Leishman remains within touch of the lead at the Sony Open in Honolulu although he is now four shots from the leader, Brendan Steele.
Leishman began the day three behind the 36-hole leader, Nick Taylor but appeared to be slipping out of contention before three birdies in his final five holes saw him finish with a second consecutive round of 65 to be tied for 9th place.
Leishman knows he will have to go low tomorrow to catch and pass Steele and others, Steele a proven performer on the golf course having finished runner-up to Cameron Smith last year.
“I hit the ball great all day but couldn’t make the putts, burning edges,” said Leishman. “I knew they would drop eventually because I was hitting good putts, and they were very close to going in and they went in towards the end of the round.
“It’s a really bunched leaderboard, four back it looks like. Going to have to go low. Can’t see Steeley shooting — well, I’ll have to shoot 65 or less to have any sort of chance. Go out and attack and try to make all the putts where I give myself an opportunity and see where it leaves us.”
Leishman owns a very good record at Waialae Country Club having recorded a total of 58 under par in his 24 rounds on the golf course since 2015 and while there has been only one top ten in that time, he has an impressive level of consistency over the layout.he will likely need something more than consistent tomorrow.
Aaron Baddeley is just one further back than Leishman after he too was round in 65 today, while Matt Jones, Cameron Davis, Cameron Smith and Adam Scott are further back.
The leader, Steele, has played the event only twice in the last ten years but one of those was when runner-up last year and so enjoys good memories of a golf course where he so nearly secured his 4th PGA Tour title.
“Definitely the first practice round we played this year was on the back nine and I was remembering some shots, some good and some bad, kind of kicking myself a little bit,” said the leader describing mixed memories from last year.
“I usually play well coming off of a break, and I had a nice break. I was able to spend some time with my family and get excited to play golf again, and sometimes I lose that in the middle of the year when I’m away from home and just kind of beating my head against the wall.”
Marc Leishman Contending at Sony Open
Marc Leishman finds himself just three from the lead at the halfway stage of the Sony Open in Honolulu, his bogey free second round of 65 having him in a share of 7th as the event heads into the weekend.
After his solid start yesterday, Leishman began well today with two early birdies in his opening three holes but it took another seven holes before a birdie at the 10th advanced his cause and he finished strongly.
Leishman struggled through the latter stages of the 2020 events on the PGA Tour but he is keen to put that form behind him and to start afresh.
“I’m feeling good over the ball,” said Leishman. “Sort of just got rid of all that bad stuff out of my head. Ready to think about the good stuff.
“I was even through eight yesterday and got myself back in it. When you can play like that early on but still shoot 4-under, that’s pleasing. I’ve shot myself out of a lot of tournaments early, especially the end of last year. Yeah, happy to fight like that and follow it up with a good one today.
“I’m happy with how I’m hitting it and how I’m putting and everything like that. To shoot two rounds like that, happy with it. Good to be back here in Hawai’i and excited for the next two days.”
The leader is the Canadian, Nick Taylor, who has two victories to his name on the PGA Tour, the last of those coming at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro Am last year.
His round of 62 is the best of the week to date and was made even more meritorious given he was 1 over par through 5 holes of round two.
“I played well here last year although it was completely different conditions,” said the 32 year old Taylor.
“It was really windy. It was wet. I’ve always liked here. In the past I’ve come here a little rusty. I’m usually back in Canada for December.
“Playing last week in Maui helps getting the rust off and I went there quite early, as well that. Helped me out, just shaking rust off.”
Aaron Baddeley remained in touch with his round of 68 to be four from the lead and tied for 15th. He recovered from an early bogey but a mid-round slump threatened danger before three late birdies kept him in the thick of things.
Baddeley reiterated his comments of yesterday when suggesting his most recent form was not as bad as the results suggested.
“That was the weirdest thing about this stretch,” he said. “I never felt I was struggling. Like I can tell you one time, I was like, man, I really feel like I’m battling or I felt like — always felt like I was shooting the highest score I could shoot.
“Then starting to work with Butch, we had a real plan in place. Instead of going out to the course and it feels good, try this, try that, and with Butch, it was like, let’s this and this, and that’s it.
“So every day, I go out, got the plan, I see it getting better every day. I mean, my driving is so much better, my irons are so much better and everything is just so much better and I’m able to free it up so much more. So that way when I do feel nervous, just feel like, hey. Trust the work you’ve done and free it up.”
Of the other Australians, defending champion Cameron Smith and Adam Scott are one shot behind Baddeley and well enough placed heading into the weekend.
Cameron Davis is another shot back and Matt Jones two behind Davis.
Leader, Nick Taylor, (right) fist bumps playing partner today – Photo Getty Images Cliff Hawkins
Aaron Baddeley Rekindles Fond Sony Open Memories
Aaron Baddeley- makes impressive start in Honolulu – file photo Bruce Young
18 years ago, the Sony Open in Honolulu was Aaron Baddeley’s first PGA Tour event as a cardholder. That year he finished runner-up after a playoff against Ernie Els and while his career has been mixed since, the boost that finish gave him has led to a career in which he has won four titles and US$22 million on the PGA Tour.
Today he continued his love affair with the Waialea Country Club by adding an opening round of 64 on the par 70 layout, his only real blemish coming when he missed the green left at his 4th hole but seven birdies has resulted in him being in a share of 4th place and two shots from the lead.
Baddeley’s form for much of 2020 as simply awful, missing 12 of his last 14 cuts but after his round today he suggested it had not been quite as bad as the results might have indicated.
“Honestly, it’s been a really weird stretch because I feel like I’ve been playing well,” said the 39 year old. “I’d play all right and hit one poor shot or something and end up missing the cut by a shot. I feel like I missed a bunch of those by one shot. It’s such a fine line. I felt like I was playing well and just wasn’t quite getting it done.
“I’ve been working with Butch Harmon since August, so he’s given me two things to focus on. I’ve just been working on those every day and seeing it getting better and better and better, and it was a matter of just trusting what I’ve been doing and going out and just playing golf, and that’s sort of what I did today and that’s been good.”
Baddeley heads the Australians, two ahead of Marc Leishman who birdied three of his last five rounds for his round of 66.
Defending champion, Cameron Smith, began his defence well with an opening nine if 32 but tread water on the way in for a round of 67.
Cameron Davis had 68, Adam Scott 69, as did Rhein Gibson and Matt Jones.
The leaders, Peter Malnati, Jason Kokrak and last week’s runner-up, Joaquin Niemann, opened with rounds of 62 and lead by two.
SCORES
Joint tournament leader Joaquin Niemann – photo courtesy of PGA Tour
Cameron Smith Chasing Repeat Victory in Honolulu
Cameron Smith- photo courtesy of Getty Images
Queensland’s Cameron Smith is preparing to defend his only individual PGA Tour title at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu this week, the Sony Open, and his most recent form suggests that a repeat of his victory in a playoff against Brendan Steel twelve months ago is well within his reach.
Smith was reasonable at last week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions although a third round of 66 gave an indication that his game is not too far from where it needs to be to contend this week.
Smith’s form late in 2020 was outstanding with a 4th place finish at the Zozo Championship followed up by his marvellous runner-up finish behind Dustin Johnson at the Masters.
“It seems like so long ago now, really,” said Smith when asked to recall memories from his victory last year. “I mean it was just a great week. I came directly from Australia. Didn’t have much time off because of the Presidents Cup and those events down there in Australia and was coming off some pretty good form and felt good about my game. Didn’t get off to the best start but kind of stuck in there.
“I’m looking forward to Thursday. I feel as though I’ve come off a pretty solid week last week. Felt as though I played better than what my score resulted in. So looking forward to the week. I love the place. I love the golf course. So yeah, hopefully give it a good defend.”
“It (the Waialae Country Club) just reminds me so much of home to be honest. The grasses are almost the same. You know, very — where I grew up is very flat and you know just kind of like this golf course, you kind of have to — it’s windy.
“It’s always windy. You always have to control your ball into the greens, which I love doing. I feel as though you can be very creative around the greens here. Yeah, I love it. Great golf course.”
Smith will be joined by fellow Australians, Adam Scott, Marc Leishman, Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson and Matt Jones.
Scott has not played the event a lot but has been runner-up on one occasion, that coming in 2009 behind Zach Johnson. Scott finished as the leading Australian last week on Maui when he finished 22nd.
Marc Leishman’s effort last week to finish 25th was an improved performance on his late 2020 form and he has enjoyed several top tens in this particular event.
Of the other Australians, Aaron Baddeley finished runner-up after a playoff to Ernie Els in one of his very first PGA Tour events some 18 years ago in what was his rookie season on the PGA Tour and the ever-improving Cameron Davis recorded a very good 9th place finish here last year.
The tournament favourites are expected to be last week’s 3rd placed golfer, Collin Morikawa, who finished 21st on debut here last year but has since won the PGA Championship and Webb Simpson, who has played this event very well in recent years including when 3rd last year.
Simpson has been in very consistent form in recent months and there is a lot to like about his chances this week.
One from just outside the leading choices might well be Sungjae Im who shared the runner-up place with Cameron Smith at The Masters and who finished 5th last week.
Im was well placed after 54 holes in this event last year before a final round of 71 saw him finish 21st following another good showing in 2019 but he is now one of the better and more consistent players on the PGA Tour and his chances this week appear good.
English Wins Playoff – Scott Heads Australians in Hawaii
Harris English his first trophy in seven years – photo Getty Images / Gregory Shamus
Adam Scott has finished as the best of the Australians at the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Kapalua Resort in Hawaii, the 40-year-old Queenslander finishing the event in a share of 22nd place at 15 under and ten shots from the eventual winner, Harris English.
Scott’s final round of 70 was the result of a fine fightback from an opening nine of 38, his closing nine of five under 32 considerably improving his final position and seeing him finish just one ahead of fellow Australians, Marc Leishman and Cameron Smith.
Leishman also recovered from a slow start with a final nine of 4 under par 33 for a round of 69 to finish tied for 25th.
Smith was another to benefit from a strong finish, birdies at his final two holes having him tied with Leishman.
All three of the Australians will play this coming week’s Sony Open in Honolulu where they will be joined by fellow Australians Aaron Baddeley, Cameron Davis, Rhein Gibson and Matt Jones, Smith defending his 2020 title.
The winner this week, Harris English, birdied the first extra hole of a play against Joaquin Niemann to win his third PGA Tour title but his first since 2014.
English had led at the end of each round although through 72 holes he was of course tied with Niemann.
English was justifiably emotional about his victory but his form in recent months suggested that another win was close at hand. He has recorded top ten finishes in three of hos four previous starts on the PGA Tour.
“It’s incredible – a lot of hard work over the years and there are times when you think you are never get there again,” said English.
“I have built a great team around me back in Sea Island. Nobody has ever given up on me or lost faith in me. There’s definitely been highs and lows but that is the way golf goes.”
Niemann produced the equal best round of the week (64) to take the sole lead at one stage of the round but was unable to birdie the last which might have made the difference and waited nearly an hour while those behind on the golf course finished their rounds.
“I played awesome the whole week, especially today,” said Niemann. “One of my best rounds. Yeah, I just look back to 15 and 18 from today, I couldn’t make birdie and I think it was right there. But, yeah, just happy and it was close.
“I mean, if you asked me at the beginning of the round I’m going to be in a playoff, I would probably take it, but, yeah, the way I was playing the whole week and the way I played today, and then I just look back and I see those two par-5s I made par. But, yeah, I mean it is what it is.”
Scores
Cameron Smith Records 66 But Still Eight From Lead.
Ryan Palmer – round of the week 64 to share the lead – photo courtesy of Getty Images / Gregory Shamus
Cameron Smith produced one of the better rounds of the day (66) during round three of the Sentry Tournament of Champions at the Kapalua Resort in Hawaii, but, although he improved his position by some 16 places on the leader-board, he finds himself the same number of shots (8) from the lead as was the case beginning his round.
Second round leader, Harris English, continued his remarkable play to lead into tomorrow’s final round but he has been joined by Texan, Ryan Palmer, at 21 under par, that pair one shot ahead of current PGA Champion, Collin Morikawa.
Harris English – photo Getty Images
Morikawa added a second consecutive 65 to move into contention after a relatively slow start on Thursday.
English holed an eight-foot par saving par putt at the last to retain his share of the lead with Palmer having recorded the round of the week to date (64) but he (Palmer) was forced to await a rules ruling before confirming his score.
Palmer’s actions at the par 4 9th hole, when he brushed aside a couple of divots as his chunked chip shot rolled back down the hill short of the green, could have been seen as a means of improving the lie for his next shot but he was found to have no intent in his actions and his round of 64 stood.
After his round Palmer explained his actions. “Well, when I walked in there, I saw Munch (PGA Tour official) with a book out, John Munch, and I was like, What’s this about? And I started going through my mind on the day. And then when he said, We have a situation on 9, and I immediately was, like, let’s see, I hit a good 3-wood, fluffed a chip, told James I hit the wrong club, and then went to where I was ended up chipping again, I still had no idea.
“But then he showed me the video and I looked at it and I go, What am I looking at? And it took me watching it twice to understand what he was talking about and then, and discussed I kicked a divot, but the ball was five feet away from me where it ended up stopping, and I was, like, I don’t know what, still, what you’re asking me. Because there was no intention of me trying to help my ball because there was no way my ball was even close to where I was at.”
Palmer birdied six of his last seven holes to zoom into contention for the title and add another win in Hawaii to his list of victories having previously won the Sony Open in Honolulu.
Smith’s round was made even more meritorious taking into account a three putt bogey at the 12th but one week out from the defence of his Sony Open title he finds himself in very good form to do so and something special tomorrow might yet yield a very high finish here.
Smith is in 16th place after starting the day in 32nd position and finds himself one shot ahead of his fellow Queenslander, Adam Scott, who added a round of 5 under par 68 on the par 73 layout to be tied for 21st.
Marc Leishman is two behind Scott after his round of 71 on a day of extremely low scoring.
SCORES