In the third round of the 2026 Sony Open, players were once again exposed to strong winds in Honolulu, Hawaii, as Davis Riley took the sole lead at Waialae Country Club with 18 holes left to play. Riley was tied for the lead with three other players at the end of the second round, but after a tough afternoon, he had the best performance among the leaders with a 3-under 67, moving him into first place with a two-place lead.
Riley spoke about how his putter was feeling after a successful second round. That continued on Saturday, when he hit a 2.614 stroke with the flat stick in his third round on the green. He led this week in strokes gained putting, and if he can keep his putter warm on Sunday, he’ll be in position to score his third career win.
Leading the way behind Riley on the leaderboard are Harry Hall and Chris Gottapp. Hall shot one of the best rounds of the day with a 4-under 66, improving to 10 under and taking one spot back into the lead heading into Sunday. Gottap matched Riley’s 68 and carried his strong momentum into 2025 into the start of the 2026 season, making it clear that his meteoric rise was no fluke.
Corey Connors and Hideki Matsuyama were in charge of today’s round, and the top-ranked players and two of the best ball-strikers in the field coped with the difficult conditions better than anyone, shooting a 5-under 65 and climbing up the leaderboard.
Heading into the weekend, there will be nine players within three strokes of the lead and 19 players within five shots of the lead, making for an interesting final round that many players will feel is a sure shot for the first PGA Tour title of the 2026 season.
leader
1. Davis Riley (-12): Riley’s strong putter has been the talk of the week so far, but his ball-striking seems to be improving as the week progresses, and that will be crucial in turning a 54-hole lead into a win. Saturday was the first round of the week, and Riley extended his stroke on both his tee shot and green approach, but that part of his game will have to endure alongside his putter during the nerves of the final round.
contestant
T2. Harry Hall, Chris Gottapp, Kevin Roy (-10)
T5. Ryan Gerrard, John Parry, Nick Taylor (-9)
T8. Corey Connors, Adam Svensson, Patrick Rodgers (-8)
T11. Kim Si Woo, Kim SH (-7)
T13. Hideki Matsuyama, Jordan Spieth, Robert McIntyre, and 3 others (-6)
Although there is a large chasing group led by Hall and Gottapp, Roy has been near the top of the leaderboard since Thursday and shows no signs of fading away easily on Sunday. Taylor, the defending champion, fell out of the lead for the first time this week after a stumble early on the back nine, but a late birdie kept him close. He would still be considered a significant threat for back-to-back games at Waialae.
The rest of the big names in the top 20 will need something pretty spectacular to win, and guys like Connors and Matsuyama showed they can do it Saturday. Spieth has been the most consistent player this week, and while Spieth’s traits aren’t usually the first to come to mind, with three consecutive rounds of 68, he’s looking to at least finish in the top 10 in his all-important first start of the season.
2026 Sony Open picks and odds updated
Odds from FanDuel Sportsbook
- Davis Riley (10/23)
- Harry Hall (47/10)
- Chris Gotterup (5-1)
- Nick Taylor (10-1)
- Kevin Roy (11-1)
- Ryan Gerrard (11-1)
- John Parry (14-1)
- Corey Connors (16-1)
Riley made birdie at the end and was the clear favorite heading into Sunday’s final round. The more interesting members of the chase group are Gotterup and Roy. Gotterup proved his ability by winning a shutout last year, and is a player who can withstand strong winds. Roy has had a great performance all week and is 11-1 with two to go, but as long as he continues to play at his level from the first 54 holes, he has some value.
