Sony Open: Harry Hall, Hideki Matsuyama withdraw as odds mount for debut PGA Tour winner in Hawaii | Golf news
England’s Harry Hall and the in-form Hideki Matsuyama slipped back as Patrick Fishburn and Denny McCarthy held a level lead at the halfway point of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
Hall fell from an early share of the lead to find himself tied for 18th after finishing four back of the leaders at six under par in the second round, while Japan’s Matsuyama, who enjoyed a record win at The Sentry last week, is tied for 42nd place at four under.
Fishburn of the USA had a run of three straight birdies on the back nine to start his round and chipped in for a birdie on the fifth hole, closing with another final birdie for a five-under 65 to take the 10-under lead for the tournament.
He shares the lead with compatriot McCarthy, who finished four under with a 25-foot birdie on the fifth hole, his highlight en route to a 66. McCarthy, considered one of the better players on the PGA Tour, though he missed an eight-hole birdie attempt foot on the closing hole which would have given him the outright lead.
Tied at 10 under, the American pair finished one stroke ahead of Kensei Hirata (63) and Eric Cole (67), who had a chance to tie the lead until they missed a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-five 18th at Waialae.
Also fighting back was 36-year-old rookie Paul Peterson, who had played on five previous tours around the world before earning his PGA Tour card this year. He decided to end his round on the par-five ninth hole, birdie twice and post a 67 almost in the dark.
Among those two laggards were Austrians Sepp Straka and Zach Johnson.
Will there be a debut PGA Tour winner on Sunday?
The leading five players entering the weekend have never won on the PGA Tour, which could be crucial as an invitation to The Masters in April is at stake. But victory is a long way off with 25 players within four shots of the lead with 36 holes to play.
The 32-year-old Fishburn has played a pair of five-under rounds so far and said the key to his performance was “probably just keeping the ball in the fairway”.
“I hit a lot of fairways and feel really comfortable with the putter,” he said. “The first round I made a few long ones, and today I had the feeling that everything was going where I wanted on the greens.
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“Just a matter of judging the wind and the breaks. I feel like I’m rolling the ball really well, I’m so excited for the next two days.”
A week after posting the lowest 72-hole score in PGA Tour history last week, Matsuyama is now six back after posting a one-under 69, though he remains in the outside mix to try to become the third player to win the Hawaii Tour in the same year.
Watch the Sony Open in Hawaii this weekend live on Sky Sports. Live coverage continues on Saturday with the featured groups from 6pm on Sky Sports Golf, before the full coverage from 9pm. Stream golf and more with NOW.
