Hideki Matsuyama takes one-shot lead over Collin Morikawa at Sentry

KAPALUA, Hawaii — Collin Morikawa played enough against Kapalua to know that trailing Hideki Matsuyama by seven shots early in the second round was no reason to panic. Sure enough, he almost caught up with the Japanese star on Friday at The Sentry.

Matsuyama played bogey-free on another stunning day in Maui with moderate wind, making seven birdies over a 10-hole stretch in the middle of his round and posting an 8-under 65 for a one-shot lead heading into the weekend -end of the PGA. Opening of the touring season.

Morikawa made five consecutive birdies in the scoring streak late – only one of them measuring more than 5 feet – until his streak ended on the par-5 closing hole of the Plantation course with a putt of 12-foot birdie that missed on the high side.

He also had a 65 and expected the same this weekend. Conditions are ideal for scoring, and The Sentry has the best players on the PGA Tour last year.

“When you look at the leaderboard, I’ve gone six holes and I’m tied and the guys are already going around the field,” Morikawa said. “But like I said, that doesn’t mean I have to be patient. I just know this golf course, and I know that at any moment you can make a little bit of birdie, and I just had to keep playing my game.”

It was the eighth time Morikawa had 65 or better at Kapalua, the most by any player since 2020, when the two-time major champion made his debut.

Matsuyama went about his business, flashing a big smile as he holed a 35-foot birdie putt across the green on the par-3 11th. He was at 16-under 130 with a group of players lined up behind him.

“I’m definitely happy with where I am,” Matsuyama said.

Ten players were separated by three shots heading into the tournament weekend that invites only the 2024 PGA Tour winners and the top 50 of the FedExCup.

Corey Conners of Canada and Thomas Detry of Belgium were among those under 14 (132) thanks to their own results.

The Sentry: Tee times, groupings and how to watch Round 3 at Kapalua

Tee times and groupings for round three of The Sentry at Kapalua.

Conners holed a 40-foot eagle putt at the par-5 15th, followed by two mid-range birdie putts and two putts from the front of the green on the 18th for another birdie and a 66. Detry was 6 under in final. six holes. He drove the green of the 14th hole 306 yards to 10 feet for eagle, and had to settle for par at the 18th for a 65.

The field averaged 68.1, which was skewed slightly by Davis Riley posting the first 80 of the season. He made four straight birdies, a tough two-putt par, then had a 9 on the 17th hole with a loose ball right on a tee shot and a second tee shot into the left hazard. The margin of these misses was about the length of a football field.

Only four players failed to exceed par.

For everyone else, it was about aiming for spots on the contoured greens that feed the hole and cashing in birdies.

Sepp Straka birdied every hole of the back nine until he made what he considered his best shot, a 6-iron to 20 feet, only to miss the putt. He shot 65.

Eight players shot 64 shots, a group that included Davis Thompson, who was 14 shots better than in his first round of the year. Patrick Cantlay was 10 shots better with his 64.

“Now I have to start again,” said Cantlay, who was still eight shots behind Matsuyama.

Among the group three shots behind was former U.S. Open champion Wyndham Clark, who birdied eight of his last 10 holes. Clark argued that the low score was a product of the players and not the course.

“I don’t necessarily prefer that low level, but at the same time we make classes like this look easy,” Clark said. “To be honest, it’s not that simple. Usually it’s very windy here, and we didn’t have much wind today, so you’re going to get a lot of bird stares and sometimes eagle stares.

“I’ve never really shot 20 under on the PGA Tour, so maybe I can beat it this week.”

At this rate, it won’t be enough.

Mustachioed Keegan Bradley literally dreams of the Ryder Cup

US Ryder Cup Keegan Bradley is sporting a mustache this week, and he may have to keep it – just like the constant Ryder Cup dreams he has.

Ryder Cup captain Keegan Bradley also had a 64, marked by an eagle on the final hole and his two sons running down the fairway as he walked toward the 18th green. Bradley has not ruled out playing the Ryder Cup. But it’s far.

“We are two rounds away from 2025,” he said. “So if we get to July and it looks like that, then we’ll start talking, but for now I’m just going to keep playing the best I can.”