Golf: Two eagles lift Buckley to Sony Open lead
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Hayden Buckley plays his shot from the 13th tee during the third round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
PHOTO: AFP
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LOS ANGELES – Regardless of how his final round panned out on Sunday, Hayden Buckley was glad that his patience was paying off in Hawaii.
The 26-year-old American had two eagles in a six-under 64 on Saturday to grab a two-shot lead after three rounds of the Sony Open, where he was chasing a first US PGA Tour title.
He holed out from the fairway for an eagle at the 10th, then broke free atop the leaderboard with another eagle at the par-five 18th, where his approach from the fairway settled two feet from the pin.
Buckley was two strokes clear of overnight leader Chris Kirk, David Lipsky and Ben Taylor on 15-under 195.
England’s Taylor carded a 65 to join the group on 13 under, while Lipsky fired a second-straight 66 and fellow American Kirk posted a 68.
Buckley, who finished tied for fifth at the Zozo Championship in October, said his round was “a testament to being patient”.
“I missed a three-, four-footer for birdie kind of early on and I just stuck with it,” he said, adding that he did not feel as in control as he had on Friday, when he also shot a 64.
“I hit a lot of greens, obviously, but I hit them in some tougher spots today – a lot of shots pin-high, with a lot more break and a little bit quicker putts. I feel like I just played smart.”
On a day when a dozen players held at least a share of the lead at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Hawaii, Buckley’s eagles made the difference.
The first came after he “chunked” his tee shot at the 10th, then hit his 50-degree wedge second shot “a hair thin”. Buckley admitted he thought it might miss the green, but instead it hit the putting surface and rolled in.
At the 18th he said he was “just trying to play to the front edge”. He added: “Luckily I had a great number and hit a five-iron in close.”
Taylor and Lipsky are also chasing maiden PGA Tour wins, although Lipsky’s three international titles include an Asian Tour victory in 2012 and European Tour wins in 2014 and 2018.
Taylor, 30, rebounded from an opening bogey with six birdies, rolling in a six-footer at the 18th.
“Solid round,” he said. “I had a little bit of a hiccup on the first with an early bogey... but we had level shoulders on us today.”
Lipsky, 34, opened with back-to-back bogeys but had seven birdies the rest of the way. After a bogey at the 17th, he rolled in an 11-foot birdie at the last. AFP
