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No one was catching Hideki Matsuyama and Russell Henley in Sunday’s final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii.
The pair simply didn’t let other players get within striking distance on another idyllic day at Waialae Country Club.
But Kevin Kisner and Michael Thompson finished strong and have plenty to feel good about to start the calendar year.
Kisner shot a 6-under-par 64 to move into a tie for third at 19-under 261, while Thompson shot a 7-under 63 to finish tied for fifth, one shot behind.
Kisner birdied Nos. 1, 2, 3, 10, 12 and 18 in his only bogey-free round of the tournament. He has four top-5 finishes in 11 tournament appearances.
“Yeah, got off to a great start just like I wanted to,” he said. “Really was knocking the flag down early and didn’t make the short ones actually there in the middle of the round. Kind of stalled out for a little bit, but bogey-free on Sunday, 64, never can complain.”
Thompson birdied Nos. 1, 4, 7, 9, 10, 12, 15 and 16, and bogeyed the second. His 7-under score was tied for low round of the day.
“I didn’t hit it very good off the tee today,” Thompson said. “My iron play was spot-on. I hit a lot of great recovery shots, put myself in position to get up and down.”
On the par-4, 441-yard 16th, Thompson’s drive travelled 283 yards into the left rough, but his next shot from 147 yards out got within five feet of the hole.
“Stole one on 16 today from the left trees and made birdie there,” said Thompson, who started the round in a seven-way tie for 11th. “I just maximized what I had today. I took advantage of everything I had.”
He opened with a 63 and followed with a 67 and 69.
“Yesterday, I just didn’t take advantage of the birdie putts anywhere from five to 15 feet,” Thompson said of his third round. “I missed four of them yesterday. If those go in then maybe I have a chance to win today, but that’s the game of golf — some days you’re great, some days are frustrating. That’s just how it goes.”
Matsuyama and Henley finished at 257, four shots clear of Kisner and Seamus Power. Matsuyama won with an eagle on the first playoff hole, the 18th.
“Yeah, I didn’t look (at the scoreboard) until 16 and saw they were at 21 and 23 (under), so trying to get a couple more to boost my lead over the guys that still had to finish,” said Kisner, who finished tied for eighth at the Sentry Tournament of Champions last week at Kapalua.
He’s very satisfied with his current game.
“Love every aspect of it, to be honest with you,” Kisner said. “I think I could shore up the putting a little bit, be a little bit more consistent with that, but all the things I worked on in the off-season seemed to click.”
Thompson also was making his 11th Sony Open in Hawaii appearance with his best finish being a tie for sixth in 2012. He has played at Waialae every year since 2011, except for 2015.
“I love this golf course. Anybody can win out here. You have to drive the ball well and hit your irons well,” Thompson said. “The course is always in great shape and it’s fun to come to Hawaii first event of the year.”
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