Davis Riley Takes the Lead at the Sony Open with a Strong Finish
HONOLULU — Davis Riley birdied four of the last seven holes Saturday at wind-swept Waialae Country Club for a 3-under 67 and a two-stroke lead with a round left in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sony Open. Riley was at 12-under 198 on the oceanside course, with Harry Hall (66), Chris Gotterup (68) and Kevin Roy (69) tied for second.
Riley’s strong finish was a testament to his ability to adapt to the challenging conditions at Waialae Country Club. “You got to make some gritty pars in these conditions and just try to make some putts on these fast greens in crosswinds in tough putting conditions when you have a chance,” Riley said. He rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 11th with a birdie on the par-4 12th, and then made a series of impressive shots, including a wedge inside 2 feet on the par-4 14th and a 15-footer on the par-4 15th.
Riley’s Strategy and Experience
The 29-year-old Riley is ranked 101st in the world and has a lone individual PGA Tour title under his belt, having won the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge. He also teamed with Nick Hardy to win the 2023 Zurich Classic. Riley’s experience and strategy played a crucial role in his success on Saturday. “I just started feeling really good with the swing and I was hitting my start lines,” Riley said. “That’s the biggest thing in this wind, is hit your start lines and control the curvature, and I felt like I was hitting some really good hold shots against the wind and hitting my start lines.”
Riley started slow on Saturday, making bogeys on Nos. 1 and 3. However, he was able to regain his composure and find his rhythm. “I could feel myself a little tense or trying to force it a little early just because we’re coming off the offseason,” Riley said. “We hadn’t had really any competitive juices like this in a couple months. I definitely felt like I was forcing it a little bit early and trying to be a little perfect and I just felt a little tense.”
Challengers Emerge
Hall rebounded from a bogey on 15 with a birdie on 16, and is now tied for second with Gotterup and Roy. The Englishman won a playoff in the 2024 ISCO Championship for his lone PGA Tour title. “Hitting the ball where I’m looking and doing well judging the wind tee to green,” Hall said. “Did a lot better job today of making some putts.” Gotterup closed with a 10-foot birdie putt on 18, and is looking to build on his recent success, having won the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic and the 2025 Scottish Open.
Roy, who is winless on the tour, is also tied for second. He had a share of the first-round lead with defending champion Nick Taylor and was part of a five-man logjam at the top Friday with Riley, Taylor, S.H. Kim and Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Taylor struggled on the back nine Saturday in a 70 that left the Canadian three shots back with Ryan Gerard (68) and John Parry (69). “I grinded it out and gave myself a chance for tomorrow,” Taylor said. “That’s kind of all you can ask for.”
Other Notable Performances
Fellow Canadian Corey Conners had a 65 to get to 8 under. “I like when it’s windy here,” Conners said. “I think it really puts a premium on the ball-striking. You really got control your ball. Was able to hit a lot of good shots.” Jordan Spieth birdied the 18th for his third 68 to reach 6 under. Hideki Matsuyama also was 6 under after a 65, and is looking to repeat his 2022 win at Waialae.
Vijay Singh was 4 under after a 68, and is using a one-time career money exemption to play in full-field events. The 62-year-old Hall of Famer is making his 25th start in the event he won in 2005. The season started a week later than usual due to the cancellation of The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui, which was caused by water issues.
