Soccer
  • Home
  • Golf
  • PGA Tour news: Hayden Buckley in pole position for Sunday silverware

PGA Tour news: Hayden Buckley in pole position for Sunday silverware

Hayden Buckley has a two-stroke lead going into the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday.

The American carded a second consecutive six-under 64 around Waialae Country Club on Saturday, enough to move him to 15 under for the tournament, two shots ahead of the chasing trio consisting of veteran Chris Kirk, David Lipsky and England's Ben Taylor.
Making the turn at three under, Buckley holed an eagle on the par four tenth from 133 yards out, checking the ball two feet from the pin and dropping it in the cup.
Buckley's progress was somewhat halted with a bogey on the 11th, but a string of pars led to a superb second shot into the par five last, where he tapped in for a final eagle.
"We did exactly what we were trying to do and got away with two shots, had two big eagles," the American, who is hunting his first PGA Tour title, told Golf Channel.
"Our game plan stays the same. If we play well enough, that's great. If not, we just deal with it."
Meanwhile, 37-year-old Kirk is just happy to be in the mix come Sunday, even if it is against far younger foes.
"I like the way my golf game feels," said the four-time PGA Tour winner.
"Obviously am very comfortable and love this place, so I'm excited for the opportunity against these guys that haven't won. Most of them are probably 15 years younger than me."
Further down the leaderboard, Si Woo Kim and Andrew Putnam are three strokes off the lead on 12 under.
Hawaii is a special place for Buckley, as it was where he realised he could make a living from golf. He carded a sizzling 61 at a college tournament - the Warrior Princeville Makai Invitational - while he was studying, fueling the desire to play professionally.
"It kind of woke me up a little bit to where I realised, this is something I could do for a living," he told pgatour.com.

"It was that defining moment where I was studying pretty hard, and I studied a little less hard after that because I knew that golf was something that I was going to pursue."

More Articles