Thomas holds seven shot lead in Hawaii

Jan 15, 2017 - 4:59 AM Golfer Justin Thomas' patience was tested early before he stretched his lead to seven shots after the third round of the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The long-hitter parred the first eight holes before a strong finish ensured a five-under-par 65, for a 22-under total in the PGA Tour's first full-field event of the year.

His 188 combined score tied the record low for 54 holes on the PGA Tour, set by Steve Stricker at the 2010 John Deere Classic.

"Just patience," the 23-year-old said when asked what was the key to his bogey-free round.

"I didn't hit my iron shots as well I felt like today as I did the first two days.

"I had a lot of scoring opportunities and scoring clubs, I just hit really poor iron shots to 25-30 feet.

"I managed my day really well and to shoot five-under not having my best stuff was great. And going bogey-free was awesome."

Thomas, who had opened with a magical 11-under 59 at Waialae to take control of the tournament, is seeking his third victory of the young season, and his second in a row.

He will head into Sunday's final round seven strokes clear of Zach Johnson (65) with England's Olympic champion Justin Rose (66) a stroke further back at 14-under tied with Gary Woodland (68) and Hudson Swafford (66).

Journeyman Kevin Kisner, who made the cut right on the number, narrowly missed a 10-foot eagle putt on his final hole that would have earned him a 59. He settled for a 60 that left him nine shots off the pace.

Source: AAP