Sony Open in Hawaii Round 2: Five Share the Lead as the Wind Turns Waialae Into a Grind

Thursday at Waialae was a sprint. Friday turned into a wrestling match with the trade winds, and when the dust settled nobody had won it outright.

Five players share the lead at 9-under 131 at the halfway mark of the Sony Open in Hawaii: Davis Riley, defending champion Nick Taylor, Kevin Roy, S.H. Kim and Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Four more sit one shot back at 8 under, which means the first full-field event of the 2026 PGA TOUR season heads into the weekend with nine players inside a single stroke.

The Wind Changed the Math

The scoring sheet tells the story. Thursday produced two 62s. Friday's best number was 64. The breeze showed up early, stayed late and hit hardest for the afternoon wave, and many of Waialae's holes played across the wind, which turned every yardage into an educated guess.

"The wind was strong and with some gusts," Taylor said. "Sometimes it would hurt, sometimes it would help."

Riley Plays the Conditions

The low round belonged to Riley, who went out in the morning, avoided the worst of it and still had to manufacture shots. Riley opened with 67 on Thursday and backed it up with a 6-under round capped by a birdie on the par-5 18th, the hole that put Riley into a share of the top spot.

"I think these conditions are kind of bringing it out in me a little bit because you have to be creative," Riley said.

That 64 gives the former Charles Schwab Challenge winner a real look heading into Saturday.

Kim (68) and Dumont de Chassart (67) also posted their numbers in the morning and then watched the afternoon wave try to catch them. Kim has gone 63-68 and Dumont de Chassart 64-67, steady work on a week that has rewarded patience.

Taylor's Back Nine Roller Coaster

The defending champion had the most dramatic afternoon. Taylor opened the week with a 62 and spent Friday grinding through the stiffest wind of the day. Then came the push. A 25-foot birdie putt on the 15th and a 17-footer on the 16th gave Taylor the outright lead, the first time all afternoon anyone had separated from the pack.

It lasted one hole. A bogey on the par-3 17th dropped the Canadian back into the logjam, and a 69 left Taylor tied at the top rather than alone. There was a highlight inside the round too, a near ace that the PGA TOUR named its Shot of the Day.

Roy, who matched Taylor's 62 on Thursday, followed almost the same script with a 69 as well. Roy closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth late in the afternoon to grab the fifth share of the lead.

"When you get wind like that doesn't really feel like it's in the same direction," Roy said.

The Chasers Are Stacked

One shot back is a group with real firepower. Maverick McNealy and Takumi Kanaya both shot 66, the best rounds among the chasers. John Parry of England posted 68, recovering from two dropped shots after the turn with back-to-back birdies. Chris Gotterup shot 69 to stay in the mix at 8 under.

"Obviously, tough day out here with the wind," Gotterup said.

Ryan Gerard, Vince Whaley and Patrick Rodgers are two back at 7 under. Ben Griffin, who opened with 63, managed only a 71 and slid three shots off the pace, proof of how quickly a hot start cools when the wind gets up.

Vijay Makes the Weekend, Big Names Do Not

The best story of the day might have come from a 62-year-old. Vijay Singh, making a 25th Sony Open start and using a one-time career money exemption, followed an opening 68 with an even-par 70 to make the cut. Singh won this event in 2005, has 34 PGA TOUR wins and is the oldest player to make a TOUR cut since Fred Couples did it at 63 at the 2023 Masters, per Golf Channel. It is only Singh's second made cut on TOUR since 2021.

The cut fell at 1 under, and it caught some heavy hitters. Collin Morikawa finished at even par after an 8-foot birdie try on the 18th slid by. Keegan Bradley was hanging around the number until a double bogey on the par-3 seventh, Bradley's 16th hole, left a final total of even par. Tony Finau finished 6 over, and Chris Kirk, Luke Clanton, Gary Woodland and Cam Davis are also done for the week. Neal Shipley, making a PGA TOUR debut, missed as well.

Hideki Matsuyama nearly joined them. The 2022 champion here chipped in for birdie on the eighth, Matsuyama's 17th hole of the day, then birdied the final hole to sneak in right on the number. Sahith Theegala played the final 15 holes in 7 under to do the same.

What Saturday Asks

The season started a week late after The Sentry at Kapalua was canceled because of water issues, so the Sony Open is carrying the full weight of the first tournament of the year. Halfway through, it has delivered a five-way tie and nine players separated by one shot.

Nobody has played their way into control. Riley has the hot hand from Friday, Taylor has the title defense and Thursday's 62 in the bank, and Roy, Kim and Dumont de Chassart are all chasing a breakthrough. If the wind sticks around for moving day, the player who keeps it out of the crosswind trouble will be the one who finally breaks free.

Catch up on Thursday's action in our Round 1 recap. For more detail, see the PGA TOUR's Round 2 recap (opens in a new tab) and its cut line report (opens in a new tab).

Sources: PGA TOUR (Round 2 recap and cut report), AP, Golf Channel, CBS Sports, Sky Sports. More golf coverage on Undrafted.

Photo: PGA TOUR.