Chris Gotterup Claims Sony Open In Hawaii Title For Third PGA Tour Victory

WELCOME!

Welcome to the coverage taking you through to the end of play at the first PGA Tour event of the year, the Sony Open in Hawaii.

At the start of play, Davis Riley held a two-shot lead, but he's not having the best of times out there, to say the least, with a double-bogey at the eighth the latest in a string of slip-ups, with Chris Gotterup now holding a narrow lead.

Let's see how things play out over the next few hours...

DAVIS DISASTER!

So, just how has Davis Riley contrived to turn a two-shot overnight lead into a three-shot deficit to Chris Gotterup on the front nine of the final round?

Well, he was going along fine with birdies at the third and fifth, which extended his lead to three, before a blip with his first bogey of the day at the sixth. He failed to bounce back, with a second bogey at the seventh before it got even worse with a double at the eighth, which included finding a ditch from his tee shot.

Gotterup, meanwhile, has four birdies and one bogey over his front nine to take the lead.

MORAL VICTORY FOR VIJAY

One of the surprise entrants this week was 62-year-old Vijay Singh, who has used his career money list status to secure a PGA Tour return.

Perhaps even more eyebrow-raising was the fact he made the cut. So, how did he do? Not bad at all. He was never in any danger of troubling the top of the leaderboard, but he headed back to the clubhouse at five under for the tournament and is currently T39.

RECOVERY FOR RILEY

At the ninth, Davis Riley stops the rot with a par and he heads to the 10th three behind the leader. All is not lost, but he needs to back up that composure at the ninth with some birdies in the next few holes.

GOTTERUP STRENGTHENS HIS GRIP

Meanwhile, leader Chris Gotterup is getting it done off the tee... before making birdie at the 12th to move to 14 under and a lead of two.

CHRIS TURNS THE SCREW

At the 13th, Gotterup finds the middle of the green with his second shot. He'll have a makeable birdie chance with the opportunity to open up a three-stroke lead.

Further on, at the 15th, Patrick Rodgers, who is two back of Gotterup, is looking to keep the pressure on. He'll have a birdie chance of his own.

Meanwhile, Robert MacIntyre finishes on 12 under, also two behind Gotterup, but it's not likely to be enough.

CLASS FROM CHRIS GOTTERUP

There was encouragement of a comeback for Davis Riley with birdie at the 10th, but he misses his par putt at the 11th to ensure he moves back to 10 under. To make matters worse for Riley, Gotterup makes his birdie putt to move to 15 under with a three-shot lead over Patrick Rodgers!

GOTTERUP IN CONTROL

Very quickly, this looks like getting away from the chasing pack, with Gotterup opening up a three-shot lead over Patrick Rodgers, who is running out of chances.

It's not just Gotterup's monster drives that are assisting him in Hawaii - his putter is running hot at exactly the right time as he closes in on his third PGA Tour victory.

The latest, at the 13th, was a beautifully judged 26-footer for this second birdie in a row and moving to five under for the round.

GOTTERUP'S TOP FORM

Perhaps it's no real surprise that Gotterup is looking so accomplished out there. He's made the cut in each of his last 11 tournaments, while he was briefly touted as a potential member of the US Ryder Cup team after taking the Genesis Scottish Open title last year.

Safe to say the swaying palms and blue of the Pacific Ocean framing Waialae Country Club are a little different to North Berwick's Renaissance Club, even in July, but he looks at home wherever he plays at the moment.

That said, he narrowly misses the chance of a third birdie in a row at the 13th, but he takes a par and moves on.

AS THINGS STAND...

At the 382-yard 15th, Gotterup plays it safer off the tee with an iron and finds the fairway. Sensible stuff, and with the luxury of a three-stroke lead, who can blame him?

Right behind him, Patrick Rodgers only has two holes to make a move, with a group of players on 11 under. Robert MacIntyre is back in the clubhouse three behind the leader.

SHUFFLING OF THE PACK

There's been some shuffling of the pack in the last few minutes, with Jacob Bridgeman and Ryan Gerard making birdies to join Patrick Rodgers and Robert MacIntyre in T2, but really, this looks like Gotterup's to lose. And he doesn't look remotely like doing that, his burly frame exuding confidence on the 16th and just needing to do the simple stuff to close out the victory.

LAST ROLL OF THE DICE FOR RODGERS

At the 18th, Patrick Rodgers, three back of the lead, gives himself an outside chance of an eagle by finding the green in two. That's a long way to the pin though.

He'll be frustrated with his back nine as it's been pars all the way. Can he apply some pressure on the leader at the last?

Not really. His eagle attempt is misjudged and drifts right. Seconds later, at the 17th, Ryan Gerard makes a birdie to move to 13 under and cut Gotterup's lead to two. Rodgers then makes his birdie putt to finish on 65 and on 13 under too.

ASSURED FROM THE LEADER

Will Ryan Gerard's birdie at the 17th make Gotterup wobble? He's at the par 3 17th and it doesn't look like it. He finds the green pin high and he'll have another birdie chance.

CUSHION RESTORED FOR LEADER

Gotterup can put this to bed with a birdie at the 17th - a right-to-left from around 12 feet, and he doesn't miss! That's his three-shot lead back with one hole to play.

GOOD EFFORT FROM RYAN GERARD

Ryan Gerard finishes a round of 65 with a birdie to move to 14 under, but with Gotterup on the fairway with his tee shot at the 18th, it looks like too little, too late.

CHRIS GOTTERUP WINS THE SONY OPEN IN HAWAII!

At the par-5 18th, Gotterup's tee shot finds the fairway, but rather than go for the green with his second, he plays it safe. His third is still 70 yards from the hole, but he finds the green to leave a look for birdie. He doesn't get there, but a par ensures he wins by two!