Steve Palmer's Sony Open in Hawaii third-round preview, best bets, free tips

Where to watch

Sky Sports Golf, 9pm Saturday

Best bets

Maverick McNealy to win Sony Open
1pt each-way 50-1 bet365

Jason Kokrak to win Sony Open
1pt each-way 40-1 bet365, Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes

Story so far

Russell Henley has raced three shots clear at the top of the Sony Open in Hawaii leaderboard, the former champion following a Thursday 62 with a Friday 63 to reach 15 under par.

Henley made a similarly blistering start at Waialae Country Club on the way to making the 2013 Sony Open his maiden PGA Tour title. Rounds of 63, 63, 67, 63 meant a 24-under-par total and a spectacular three-shot triumph.

This week, the 32-year-old Georgia man teed off as a 35-1 chance, but Henley enters the weekend an 11-8 favourite. Pre-tournament market leader, Cameron Smith, missed the cut by three shots after rounds of 67 and 71.

Sponsors invite, Haotong Li, is alone in second place, while another former Sony champion, Matt Kuchar, is alone in third spot, four shots off the pace. Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama is in an 11-man tie for fifth, six shots behind Henley.

Leaderboard
-15 Russell Henley
-12 Haotong Li
-11 Matt Kuchar
-10 Michael Thompson
-9 Stewart Cink, Corey Conners, Chris Kirk, Patton Kizzire, Hideki Matsuyama, Keita Nakajima, Seamus Power, Davis Riley, Brandt Snedeker, Adam Svensson, Dylan Wu

Best prices
11-8 R Henley, 14 H Matsuyama, 16 M Kuchar, 20 C Conners, H Li, 25 S Power, 28 M Thompson, 33 K Na, 35 C Kirk, S Cink, 40 bar

Third-round preview

Russell Henley was unstoppable from the front at Waialae nine years ago having just graduated to the PGA Tour, but battle wounds have developed since which means the short odds against his name for the Sony Open are unattractive.

Henley has not won since April 2017 - the Houston Open - and he has squandered a number of excellent opportunities. Punters who backed him for the Wyndham Championship in August are particularly well equipped to warn of the mental weaknesses of Henley.

The Wyndham was at the mercy of Henley, who opened with rounds of 62, 64 and 69. He led by four shots at the halfway stage of the tournament and by three after 54 holes, but an edgy final-round 71 featuring missed tiddlers meant he ended up in a share of seventh place.

Henley is obviously well suited to Waialae and has impressed over the first two days, but unless he pulls well clear today, he would be difficult to trust tomorrow.

Haotong Li has put some abysmal form behind him to contend this week, but it would be a surprise if the Chinaman sustains it, while Matt Kuchar, the 2019 Sony champ, has not had his A-game with him much over the last couple of years.

With unconvincing leaders and a perfect weather forecast - clear, calm conditions are expected - there seems much scope for players to emerge from the chasing pack. Maverick McNealy and Jason Kokrak are nominated as the best value options.

McNealy and Kokrak are both confident putters well capable of carding the round in the low 60s they need to get into the thick of things. Both are tied for 16th place, seven shots behind Henley, but are worth supporting with each-way terms of a quarter the odds the first four available.

McNealy seems to enjoy the shorter courses on the PGA Tour and this former amateur superstar seems almost certain to make his breakthrough at some stage. It was reasonable to expect McNealy to get stronger as this week wore on - he was making his Sony Open debut and his first appearance of this year - and the youngster has laid a firm foundation for a great tournament.

Kokrak got the Christmas rust out of his system at Kapalua last week and has upped his game at Waialae. He won two PGA Tour titles last year and could easily freewheel his way to weekend fireworks. Kokrak was off the pace in the Houston Open in November, but powered to a two-shot victory with weekend brilliance.

The action resumes at 6.15pm UK and Ireland time, with the leaders out at 11.40pm. The cut-makers are all out in twoballs from the first tee.

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