Even with a narrow lead and any number of golfers capable of surging to the top, J.J. Spaun knows it’s best to limit his emotions. Spaun shot a 5-under-par 65 to move into the lead through three rounds of the Sony Open on Saturday at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.
“I’ve felt pretty calm and relaxed,” Spaun said.
“It’s always laid-back and easygoing. I’ve been carrying that mindset on the course, and it’s easy to feel that way when things are going your way and you’re playing well.”
Spaun’s best score of the tournament puts him at 13-under 197 going to Sunday’s final round. He’ll have plenty of pursuers within range.
He’s ahead of second-round co-leader Patrick Fishburn (68), Eric Cole (67) and Germany’s Stephan Jaeger (62) by one stroke.
Jaeger had the best score of the day, with birdies on six of the final 10 holes. Spaun, appearing in his 219th PGA Tour event, is seeking his second victory. The first came in the 2022 Texas Open.
This marks the fourth time he has been on top or shared the lead through three rounds.
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Spaun was clean for most of the day, scattering five birdies over the first 14 holes before alternating bogeys and birdies on the last four.
Fishburn began the round with two birdies, but played the back nine 2 over.
He said conditions became tougher late in the round.
“A lot of the wind was hard off the left with pins on the left, so it was a tricky setup,” Fishburn said. Jaeger equaled the best round of his professional career.
“To shoot a great round and be in contention is nice,” Jaeger said.
Spaun, Jaeger and Cole will be in the final grouping Sunday.
Keegan Bradley (64) Englishman Harry Hall (65) and Canadian Nick Taylor (65) are among a cluster of six golfers tied for fifth at 11 under. Bradley was the Sony Open runner-up last year. Brian Harman (66) also is at 11 under.
He was the only golfer in the field without a bogey or worse through 36 holes, a string that ended Saturday on the sixth hole. He had five birdies after that.
“I’m not going to change much,” said Colombia’s Nico Echavarria, who shot a 66 on Saturday and is in the mix at 11 under.
“It’s a course that has to be played in one way: you have to hit it from the fairway.”
Denny McCarthy, who was even with Fishburn entering the round, slipped to a tie for 16th after shooting a 71.
Japan’s Kensei Hirata, who had a 63 for Friday’s best round, is also in that group at 9 under after posting a 70 on Saturday.
There are 14 golfers within three shots of Spaun and 27 within five strokes of the top spot.
The past five editions of the Sony Open have been decided by one stroke or in a playoff.
The late Grayson Murray was the 2024 champion in a playoff with Bradley and South Korea’s Byeong Hun An. –Field Level Media
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