Steele takes 2-shot advantage into final round of Sony Open
Brendan Steele signed for a brilliant 9-under 61 on Saturday at the Sony Open from Waialae Country Club to take a two-shot lead into the final round.
The 37-year-old, who lost to Cameron Smith in a playoff at last year's event in Honolulu, made nine birdies Saturday - including three on his last four holes - to pull away from the pack. He'll be looking to convert his two-stroke edge into his fourth PGA Tour title.
Kevin Na and Joaquin Niemann will join Steele in the final group Sunday. Na matched Steele's 61 with a scorching round of his own, and Niemann eagled No. 18 to get within two shots after being the tournament's first-round leader.
Here's how the top of the leaderboard stands with 18 holes remaining:
| Place | Player | To Par | R3 Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Brendan Steele | -18 | 61 |
| T2 | Kevin Na | -16 | 61 |
| T2 | Joaquin Niemann | -16 | 63 |
| T4 | Peter Malnati | -15 | 64 |
| T4 | Charley Hoffman | -15 | 64 |
| T4 | Russell Henley | -15 | 65 |
| T4 | Chris Kirk | -15 | 65 |
| T4 | Stewart Cink | -15 | 65 |
Daniel Berger, Marc Leishman, and the 36-hole leader, Nick Taylor, are among a group tied for eighth at 14-under par.
Webb Simpson and Hideki Matsuyama failed to make noise on moving day. Simpson shot a 67 and Matsuyama posted a 66. Both will go into the final day trailing Steele by five.
Sunday's Sony Open action was moved up due to expected inclement weather in the afternoon. Round 4 now begins at approximately 1:30 p.m. ET with the leaders teeing off around 3:30 p.m. The broadcast now starts at 4:00 p.m. on Golf Channel.