Kirk takes Kapalua lead with final birdie, dozen in the hunt

KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Chris Kirk managed a birdie from just shy of the 18th green at Kapalua on Saturday, resulting in a one shot lead at The Sentry and little room for slip-ups in the final part of the opening season's PGA Tour. The Plantation course at Kapalua has been host to numerous low scores, even amidst stronger trade winds. The difference this year lies in the roster of contenders for the title, which includes 21-year-old Akshay Bhatia in his PGA Tour debut, as well as past Kapalua champions Xander Schauffele and Jordan Spieth. The line-up also features world's No. 1 player, Scottie Scheffler, who had a less-than-satisfactory performance, finishing with a score of 71 yet trailing only by three. Kirk, whose last appearance here was eight years ago, stood at 21 under 198. After his departure in major part of 2019 to deal with alcoholism and depression, he staged a comeback by winning the Honda Classic in 2023, earning him the PGA Tour's comeback player of the year title. This year, he begins on an upbeat note, like a sprint on a mountain. The aggressive play that comes with low-scores was something Kirk embraced, noting that you can't hold back when there's a score frenzy. Bhatia mirrored Kirk's performance with a repeat of 27 putts for the second day in a row. Despite three putting attempts from 60 feet for par on the concluding 667-yard hole, he still managed a score of 66. He was closely followed by Schauffele (65), Spieth (67) and Byeong Hun An (68), all trailing by two shots. Fellow Canadians Adam Hadwin and Adam Svensson from Abbotsford and Surrey, respectively, were tied for 27th position and lagging by eight shots. The remaining Canadian players, Corey Conners from Listowl, Mackenzie Hughes from Hamilton, Ont., and Nick Taylor from Abbotsford, are trailing much further down in the 35th, 39th, and 45th spots, respectively. Experienced players Spieth and Schauffele were well aware of the uncertainties of maintaining a lead, particularly on a course featuring par 5s and a reachable par 4. In light of this, Schauffele emphasised the importance of focus rather than becoming preoccupied with leaderboard rankings. Kirk's strategy for Saturday however was disrupted by an unexpected change in wind direction. Yet, he managed to keep the wind at his back, ending his run with a par after a consecutive birdie streak. Scheffler, on the other hand, was not as lucky. His first birdie came at the par 5 fifth, the easiest hole at Kapalua but his scorecard featured two bogeys after that. Despite this, with a mere three shots lagging behind the lead in the company of Harris English (64), Jason Day (67) and Sahith Theegala (68), chances are still high. In the mix are also Patrick Cantlay and Collin Morikawa, which puts 12 golfers within a four-shot reach of the lead. This is a stark contrast to the previous year when Morikawa's six shot lead was overhauled by Jon Rahm. This time around, the title is up for grabs at Kapalua come Sunday.