2026 Sony Open leaderboard: Nick Taylor tied for top in Hawaii after 36 holes
A windy day in Honolulu saw Waialae Country Club show its teeth in Friday’s second round of the Sony Open, with tight scoring conditions closing the leaderboard and sending the big names home early.
After a 62 on Thursday, the best anyone could do on Friday was a 64, with Davis Riley shooting 6-under in the second round to move into the lead and Ryan Gerard matching him with the lowest round of the day to move up to 10. Riley credited the hot putter and improved ball output to his high-scoring board even on his penalty shootout day.
“I putted really well today, but I definitely hit the ball a little bit better today,” said Riley. “Maybe it wasn’t even better, I didn’t have as many crazy shots as yesterday. I had a penalty yesterday, which cost me a lot and I felt like I lost a lot of momentum there. Overall the ball was a little cleaner and I continued to putt well.”
At the other end of the spectrum was Collin Morikawa, as the No. 17 player in the Official World Golf Rankings could only manage a 68 on Friday to finish even for the week, just one shot short of the cut. As is often the case with Morikawa, it was the putter that let him down. Morikawa missed several short putts on his back nine, including a 6-footer for birdie on No. 18 to make the cut.
A missed cut at the beginning of the season that did not include many of the game’s top players is a very difficult way for Morikawa to start hoping that the season will bounce back after a difficult second half of 2025. He still seems to be searching for the form that made him a two-time major champion and will not find the kind of confidence expected at the start of the Sony Open.
Morikawa wasn’t alone when he struggled in the air on Friday, and he’ll find the company of other big names who will also be looking for an early flight home — most notably Keegan Bradley, who also finished his week at par.
Jordan Spieth was successful, as he aimed for a rebound season himself, and highlighted the challenge of the conditions on Friday after his round, a second straight 68 that moved him into the weekend at 4 under.
“I hit a 7-iron on that 15th hole. I had a 158 hole and I think it went 120 yards and I played it like 175,” Spieth explained. “So it was very challenging at times. And on the greens it’s very difficult to make putts when it’s windy.”
Because of those conditions, things came together in a big way and when the third round started, many players will believe that they are in contention to win the opening event of the 2026 PGA Tour season.
Leaders
T1. Nick Taylor, Davis Riley, SH Kim, Adrien Dumont de Chassart, Kevin Roy (-9)
While Taylor and Roy couldn’t repeat their 62s from Thursday, the co-leaders from the first round remained tied for the weekend lead — with Taylor aiming to bounce back in Honolulu. Riley’s low round of the day earns him first place with Kim (68), Parry (67) and Dumont de Chassart (67) moving up the leaderboard again.
These five players will play in the afternoon in the third round on Saturday, and they will hope that it will be similar to Friday when the winds wake up in the morning and make it difficult for the morning waves. Taylor is the team’s favorite to retain his spot given his position and history of success at Waialae.
Competitors
T5. Maverick McNealy, Chris Gotterup, John Parry, Takumi Kanaya (-8)
T10. Ryan Gerard, Vince Whaley, Patrick Rodgers (-7)
T13. Ben Griffin, Jake Knapp and six others (-6)
There are some notable names in the chasing pack heading into the weekend, and knowing that there are low scores to be produced at Waialae if the conditions present themselves, everyone in this group — and those behind — will feel like they’re very busy in the hunt for a win.
McNealy, Gotterup and Griffin pick up where they left off in 2025, as all three have enjoyed years of service on the Tour and are off to a strong start to their 2026 campaign. Griffin stumbled on Friday to a 71, slightly off the pace after a hot first round, but he will be a big threat this weekend alongside McNealy and Gotterup.
Ryan Gerard is the popular choice as the breakout star for the 2026 season, as he also closed out a strong 2025, and he made that projection look smart with his start in Hawaii.
Notable players who missed the cut
- Collin Morikawa (E)
- Keegan Bradley (E)
- Luke Clanton (+1)
- Chris Kirk (+1)
- Cam Davis (+3)
- Gary Woodland (+3)
- Tony Finau (+6)
2026 Updated Sony Open options, odds
Odds with FanDuel Sportsbook
- Nick Taylor (11/2)
- Maverick McNealy (17/2)
- Chris Gotterup (11-1)
- Takumi Kanaya (13-1)
- Adrien Dumont de Chassart (13-1)
- SH Kim (13-1)
- Kevin Roy (14-1)
- John Parry (16-1)
- Davis Riley (16-1)
- Ben Griffin (17-1)
- Ryan Gerard (17-1)
The odds sheet going into the weekend is very tight and that gives the opportunity to identify some value. Griffin, just three shots off the pace, at 17-1 seems to offer some value, especially after proving he can’t get off his Thursday 63. Gotterup at 11-1 also looks strong, especially if the winds stay high as he’s proven in the past to be able to handle those conditions — albeit on a very different type of course in Scotland.
