Nick Taylor of Winnipeg, Manitoba is the leader after 36 holes of the 2021 Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii. Taylor had a spectacular day on Friday as he shot a score of eight-under-par 62, and is now at -12 over the first 36 holes.
Taylor currently has a two-stroke lead over five Americans, including two major champions. Webb Simpson of Raleigh, North Carolina (the 2012 U.S. Open champion), Stewart Cink of Huntsville, Alabama (the 2009 British Open champion), Vaughn Taylor of Roanoke, Virginia, Russell Henley of Macon, Georgia, and Chris Kirk of Knoxville, Tennessee are all at -10.
Meanwhile, eight golfers are in striking distance of Nick Taylor at -9, and three strokes back of the lead. They are Collin Morikawa of Los Angeles, California (the 2020 PGA Championship winner), Peter Malnati of New Castle, Indiana, Billy Horschel of Grant-Valkaria, Florida, Brendan Steele of Idyllwild-Pine Cove, California, Charley Hoffman of San Diego, California, Marc Leishman of Australia, Hideki Matsuyama of Japan, and Joaquin Niemann of Chile.
In the second round, Nick Taylor had seven birdies, one eagle, and one bogey. He birdied the third, fourth, fifth, eighth, ninth, 15th, and 16th holes, bogeyed the 14th hole, and eagled the 18th hole. Taylor’s eagle shot was 22 yards from the rough.
Taylor has won twice before on the PGA Tour. He won the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi, and the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am in northern California. Despite winning on the PGA Tour a year ago, Taylor is only ranked 135th in the world.
