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J.T. Poston shot 4-under 66 on Sunday to finish the tournament at 11 under.
Until the 18th hole it was a solid, if unremarkable, bogey-free round with birdies on Nos. 7 and 9, and pars on everything else.
Then the third-year PGA Tour pro closed out in spectacular fashion with an eagle on No. 18, chipping in from 93 feet.
Reed masters Waialae on final day
Defending Masters champion Patrick Reed started Sunday with a bogey, but was strong the rest of the way with six birdies. His 5-under 65 was his best round of the week, and allowed him to climb eight spots to T13 at 13 under for the tournament.
It’s also his best ever round in the Sony Open; in Reed’s only previous appearance in 2013 he missed the cut with 72-70.
Love III finishes strong
Davis Love III shot 5 under and finished seventh, his first top 10 since 2017 and best result since his 21st career win at the Wyndham Championship in 2015.
The 54-year-old is also getting more comfortable with the hip he had replaced in November 2017, and plans to play extensively on the regular PGA Tour this year.
“Getting close to a year (of golf since rehabbing from the surgery),” he said. “I’m thankful for every day that I can walk around the golf course with a new hip. … Once I got to playing and I realized I wasn’t going to come apart and that I had done the work to get back in shape it’s gradually gotten better.”
Love will play at the SMBC Singapore Open next week, hoping to be one of the top-four finishers not otherwise exempt for the Open Championship and earn a spot in the year’s final major.
Howell makes it 10-for-10
Charles Howell III finished in the top 1o at the Sony Open for the 10th time with a 66 on Sunday that put him at T8 and 15 under for the event.
He was asked if he finds that frustrating.
“Are you kidding? The competition, the guys out here and how good they’re playing and all that, no, it’s extremely encouraging,” said Howell, who has finished in the money in all 18 of his appearances here going back to 2002 when he tied for fourth in his Sony Open debut.
“I do like it here,” he said. “I love the golf course. Old-style. A lot of different options off the tees and into the greens and what-not. I mean, it makes you think.”
Howell, who turns 40 in June, earned his third tour victory at the RSM Classic last November. Health-willing he plans to keep coming to this tournament indefinitely. And with $2,832,231.91 in earnings here, why wouldn’t he? He has won more money at this event than anyone in Sony Open history. Jerry Kelly is second and Ernie Els third.
“I can control the showing up part. The finishes, I don’t know,” he said. “But it would be awful special to one day win here.”
Shorter day for Kizzire
The only playoffs Sunday were the NFL conference championship games. That was in contrast to last year, when Patton Kizzire needed six playoff holes to finally shake James Hahn.
Kizzire started the final round too far off the pace to contend for a repeat. But he put together his best round of the week Sunday, a 5-under 65 that would’ve been better if not for a missed short putt for birdie on No. 18.
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