Down the stretch they come at Kapalua

KAPALUA, Maui » Jimmy Walker and Hideki Matsuyama haven’t been mentioned in the same breath very often, but that’s about to change.

The twosome will be in the final pairing of Monday’s closing round of the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in pursuit of hoisting a trophy in the first PGA Tour event of 2015.

Walker, the defending champion of the Sony Open in Hawaii, shot a 6-under 67 Sunday to drop to 17 under for the tournament. He is tied with Matsuyama, who managed his second consecutive 66 in Kona conditions at the expansive Plantation Course.

The twosome played a couple of rounds together at Tiger Woods’ event in December, where neither was in contention. There will be a lot more on the line Monday in what shapes up to be an exciting finish.

"I’ve played with him twice and he’s a nice guy," Walker said. "He’s a good player, hits it good and makes a hard move at it. I’m definitely more comfortable here this year than I was last. It’s a big golf course and it’s a lot to look at, take in, that sort of thing."

Patrick Reed (68) and Sang-Moon Bae (69) wouldn’t argue with that assessment. The talented twosome are two strokes in back of the leaders at 15 under through 54 holes. First-round leader Russell Henley (70) and Brendon Todd (69) round out the top six at 14-under 205.

Matsuyama was the first in at 202 with a birdie at the famed closing hole. Walker matched him with a nice birdie of his own at the signature par-5 to set up a possible shootout on the final day. Matsuyama opened with a 70 on Friday to trail Henley by five. His game has dramatically improved since then, particularly the flat stick.

"If I can play (Monday) like I did yesterday and today, I think I’ll have a chance," Matsuyama said. "I think obviously, that will be difficult to do. I hope to be relaxed and be able to play my game (Monday)."

What was a tightly bunched group after 36 holes where 17 golfers were within five shots of the lead thinned out a bit on Sunday. Entering the final round, only nine golfers are within five shots in this elite winners-only field.

Matsuyama opened with a bogey at No. 1 that was playing into the wind for the first time all week. He righted the ship with four birdies over the final five holes of the front nine. The 22-year-old sensation from Japan had three consecutive birdies midway through the closing holes before circling his final number on the scorecard at the 18th.

Walker’s journey was equally steady and true with a 32 on the front and a 35 on the closing side. He shot his second bogey-free round of the tournament and has managed quite a love affair with the island chain. If he wins Monday, he will be the fifth golfer to capture both tour events in the 50th state.

"There’s still a lot of guesswork out there," Walker said. "I hit the shots and you still gotta read these greens, and it’s tough, I think. It kind of reminds me of playing in the mountains a little bit. You’re like, well, there’s a mountain over there, there’s a mountain over here; there’s a valley and another valley; where’s the uphill, where’s the downhill? So it’s tough."

As for Matsuyama, who will join Walker at the Sony Open later this week, another 66 would go a long way in securing his second win on tour. In 2011, he was the first Japanese amateur to play in the Masters, where he was paired with Tom Watson the opening two rounds.

Not that these two guys are alone at the top. Reed and Bae have played well enough all week to be in position to win. And Henley, who struggled somewhat on Sunday, is right there as well.

"I misjudged a couple of chips and wedge shots and a couple of wrong clubs off the tee with the wind switch, but overall my game feels great," Henley said. "I’ve been trying to keep a good attitude. I know that my game is good, so if I can keep a good attitude and stay even keel, I feel like the results will come."