Patrick Fishburn and Denny McCarthy are currently tied for the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii after completing the opening two rounds at Wailalae Country Club.
Both players sit at 10-under par with total scores of 130.
Fishburn carded a bogey-free 65 on Friday, while McCarthy shot a 66, overcoming an early sluggish start. The duo are a shot clear of a trio deadlocked at 9 under, including Kensei Hirata (63), Eric Cole (67), and Paul Peterson (67).
“I played really well,” said McCarthy. “I played better than yesterday I think tee to green. Hit way more fairways today. Missed a lot of short putts, but I guess made up for it. Made a couple longer bonus putts. Made a couple each day.
“Yeah, the greens in the afternoon were a little choppy. I didn’t love how I rolled it in close. Overall I played really well and looking forward to the weekend.”
Fishburn added: “Yeah, got off to a really good start. You know, I birdied 12, 13, and 14, which I was really excited about the birdie on 13. That’s a pretty tricky hole. Hit a 6-iron to about six or seven feet and made that.
“Then another good shot on 14. That was kind was the key, getting some momentum early. Felt really good with all the clubs in the bag. Felt like I drove the ball pretty well. Irons felt great.
“The times that I missed the green I got up and down. Chipped one of them in. Also felt good on the greens.
“So real happy with how it’s gone the last two days.”
The tournament has seen a tightly packed leaderboard with several players within striking distance, suggesting a competitive weekend ahead.
Heading into the weekend, relative to betting, McCarthy is known for his putting skills, ranking among the best on the PGA Tour, although he missed some short putts in the second round. Fishburn, on the other hand, has shown consistency with back-to-back 65s, emphasizing his ability to keep the ball in the fairway and perform well on the greens.
Both players are seeking their first PGA Tour victory, which adds an extra layer of drama to the tournament.
