Patrick Fishburn Fires Bogey-Free 65 to Take Sony Open Lead

Patrick Fishburn and Denny McCarthy are tied for the lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii after the second round, with Fishburn firing a bogey-free 65.

Patrick Fishburn, 32, took the lead at the halfway stage of the PGA Tour's Sony Open in Hawaii alongside American compatriot Denny McCarthy. Fishburn fired a bogey-free five-under-par 65 on Friday, showcasing impressive iron play and putting skills. He now stands at 10 under through 36 holes at Honolulu's Waialae Country Club. “I've hit a lot of fairways and feel really comfortable with the putter,” Fishburn said, reflecting on his performance.

Fishburn's round got off to a strong start, with birdies on the 12th, 13th, and 14th holes. He added two more birdies after the turn, capping off a largely flawless round. “First round I made a few long ones and today felt like everything was kind of going where I wanted it to on the greens,” Fishburn explained. “Feel like I'm rolling the ball really well, so excited for the next two days.”

Denny McCarthy, 31, overcame a shaky start to join Fishburn at the top of the leaderboard. McCarthy, who shot an opening six-under-par 64 on Thursday, began his round with two bogeys in his first three holes. However, he regained his composure, draining five birdies and 10 pars over the remaining 15 holes for a four-under-par 66. After struggling with short putts early on, McCarthy bounced back with a 24-footer for birdie on the fifth.

McCarthy reflected on his mixed round, saying, “Missed a couple short ones early and bounced back. Made some mid- to long-range putts in the middle of the front nine to get me into the round... everything feels really good.”

Japan's Kensei Hirata made a significant leap up the leaderboard on Friday, soaring 41 places into a three-way tie for third place. Hirata's impressive seven-under-par 63 brought him to nine under, just one stroke off the lead. He is joined in third place by Americans Eric Cole and Paul Peterson, who carded a 67 and 67, respectively, following his opening 64.