Choi leads at Sony Open

2008-01-13

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HONOLULU (TICKER) -- K.J. Choi has a four-shot lead after Saturday's third round of the $5.3 million Sony Open.

Choi started the round two strokes in front of Kevin Na and doubled his advantage with a 4-under-par 66.

At 15-under 195, Choi leads Tim Wilkinson by four shots. A rookie from New Zealand, Wilkinson vaulted into contention with an 8-under 62 to get to 11-under 199.

Choi wasted no time building on his lead as he birdied his first two holes. But he was unable to capitalize on that early momentum and had only three more birdies the rest of the round.

"I started out with birdies and felt like I was going to have a very good day," Choi said. "During the middle of the round I faced a lot of difficult pin positions so it made it a little bit difficult."

After closing the front nine with a birdie, Choi bogeyed No. 11. He picked up a shot with a birdie at 14 and closed his round with a birdie at the par-5 18th after blasting out of a greenside bunker to about six feet.

Looking for his seventh PGA Tour win and a wire-to-wire victory this week, Choi has fired three rounds in the 60s and will be tough to catch on Sunday.

"I'm very satisfied with my shots, the way I'm shaping my shots," Choi said. "I'm hitting the shots the way I want to and I feel really good about my shots. I feel like I had a good round."

Wilkinson did his damage early, posting his 62 as Choi was about tee off. The score looked better and better as the day went on and now Wilkinson will play for his first tour title in the final group on Sunday.

He got there with an early birdie blitz that started on his first two holes and saw him fire seven birdies on his first 11 holes.

Wilkinson cooled off on the back nine after his birdie on 11 but he did close the round with his seventh birdie of the day.

"It was just fun to play out there today," Wilkinson said. "I played to the safe side most of the time and I just made some good putts. That made a big difference."

Na had an uneven round with four birdies and three bogeys, but he did birdie 18 for a 69 and is tied for third at 10-under with Steve Marino (68).

Marino bogeyed No. 2 and did not have a birdie until the ninth. He added three more birdies and one more bogey and knows he, like the rest of the field, will be hard-pressed to catch Choi on Sunday.

Choi has had a 54-hole lead four times and converted each time.

"It's going to take a low number and I'm going to need some help from him," Marino said. "Obviously he's playing really well, so I can't worry about what he's doing out there, I've just got to do the best I can. If he falters a little bit, I might have a chance to catch him."

First prize is $954,000.