Australian Davis shares Hawaii golf lead

Australian Cameron Davis and American Brendan Steele share a one-shot lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii over another Aussie Cameron Smith.

By Doug Ferguson, Australian Associated Press
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Australian golfer Cameron Davis has a share of the lead with American Brendan Steele after another wet and windy day at the Sony Open in Hawaii.

The wind wasn't as strong as Thursday's opening round but the duo's four-under-par 66 for a halfway total of 134 has them holding off another Australian Cameron Smith (135) by one shot.

They were at six under overall, the highest score to lead the Sony Open through 36 holes since 2006. More unusual was the cut being at one-over 141, leaving only a seven-shot differential between first and worst.

Smith is tied at five-under with Keegan Bradley and seven other players including young American first-round leader Collin Morikawa and former Hawaii champion Ryan Palmer.

Davis was more consistent than Steele, mixing five birdies and a bogey.

The 24-year-old's best shot came on the par-4 13th when he coolly rolled in a 26-foot putt for birdie to keep his dreams of a maiden PGA Tour victory alive.

In the tough conditions at Waialae, defending champion Matt Kuchar, Justin Thomas and Patrick Reed have missed the cut, along with Australian Cameron Percy.

Early contender Matt Jones fired a one-over 71 on Friday to be two under after two rounds, with fellow Australian Marc Leishman (68, 70). Rhein Gibson (70, 69) is one under.

"I'm playing great, playing good enough to still be winning this week," Thomas said after two double-bogeys ruined his round of 71. "Probably a little exhausted from last week, which is a good thing. No, I mean, played like crap so I deserve to have the weekend off."

It was his first missed cut since the US Open last year at Pebble Beach.

Reed made a 35-foot par putt and chipped in for birdie. It was all the other putts he missed, along with a flubbed pitch that went into a bunker and led to double-bogey, that cost him. He shot 74.

They both finished at 143 to miss by two shots.

"I was missing my putts short, I had two three-putts. I missed everything," Reed said.

It was his first missed cut since the PGA Championship in May.

The course is getting soaked by rain every night, with occasional pop-up showers - even when the sun is shining - during the day.

Approach shots which typically bounce forward are spinning back.

Reuters


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