Hayden Buckley edges closer to first PGA Tour title in Hawaii

Hayden Buckley delivered a pair of eagles on the back nine, including one at the par-5 18th hole, to establish a two-shot lead at 15-under par after round three of the Sony Open at Honolulu.

David Lipsky, Chris Kirk and England's Ben Taylor all were tied for second place at 13 under. Kirk scrambled for a 2-under 68 at Waialea Country Club after he entered the third round with a one-stroke lead.

Andrew Putnam and South Korea's Si Woo Kim were tied for fifth place at 12 under.

Buckley's first eagle of the back nine came at 10 when he holed a wedge from 133 yards at the par-4 hole. At the 532-yard, par-5 closing hole, Buckley put his 221-yard approach shot to within 3 feet and made the eagle putt to deliver a 6-under 64 for the second consecutive round.

Buckley said it wasn't as easy as it looked.

"I think the firmness of the course is very difficult," he acknowledged afterwards.

"Just because you hit it straight doesn't mean it's going to be in the fairway and the rough is up pretty heavily, so I think I've just hit the right shots at the right time.

"I think the putter has been there. I know I've made a lot of feet of putts, but I just put it in the right places."

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Buckley will open Sunday's final round in search of his first PGA Tour victory. The 26-year-old has won once on the Korn Ferry Tour in 2021 after winning once on PGA Tour Canada in 2019.

Taylor shot a 5-under 65 in the third round after a 66 in each of the first two rounds. He closed the third round with four birdies over his final seven holes.

"I would say my scrambling was the best today," he said.

"I holed a few good putts (like) I have done all week, kind of holing out quite well for par, which has kept the rounds going. Didn't hit that many fairways or