The Starter: Round 4, Sony Open in Hawaii

text size

The final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii is set to begin soon. Here's a look at Sunday's round:

Groups We're Watching

Tee time Players   5:34 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Rory Sabbatini, Michael Allen Allen is well past his 50th birthday, but he's got the game to compete with the young guns. At 7 under, he's only four shots back. 5:52 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Zach Johnson, Steve Stricker Johnson slipped a little bit in the third round, but he's got the horsepower to pull away in the final round if the putts start dropping. 6:10 p.m. ET, Hole No. 1 Ryan Palmer, Robert Allenby Allenby badly wants to end his nine-year victory drought, but Palmer has been tough as nails all week. As usual, putting will be the key.

MORE ROUND 4: Tee times | Inside the field | Inside the course | Field analysis

EXPERT PREVIEW: PGA TOUR NETWORK on-site correspondent Fred Albers previews Sunday's final round:

Nobody is more generous with passing along knowledge than a PGA TOUR player. It is not uncommon for players to watch each other's swings and give advice. Vijay Singh told Robert Allenby that a change in putting style might benefit him and suggested the "claw," where hands are separate on the shaft. Allenby, who ranked 182nd on TOUR in putting last year, took the advice and has putted well since late last summer. He is now tied for the lead heading into the final round of the Sony Open.

Sunday's forecast

Mostly sunny Temp: 81 high/68 low Sunny with winds around 11 mph.

If Ryan Palmer is bunkered on Sunday, don't be surprised if he makes par. He converted a spectacular save on Saturday at the 16th hole by gripping down on a 7-iron and blading the ball into the face of the bunker, where it then popped onto the green (Watch the shot here). Palmer converted a 6-foot putt for par and is tied for the lead.

Mike Waite is a busy man on the golf course. He caddies for Robert Allenby but also administers justice of sorts. When the gallery needs to be quiet or stop moving, Allenby gives a slight glance to Waite, who then advises the fans with a stern but pleasant admonishment to remain still. Allenby can concentrate on his game and Waite can carry the clubs, help with yardage and provide crowd control.

Robert Allenby will wear a pink shirt in the final round as he did all of last year. His mother died of cancer and he wears pink in her honor, and for cancer awareness.

INSTRUCTOR'S CORNER: Todd Jones, head instructor at the TOUR Academy, analyzes the playing conditions at Waialae Country Club.

Saturday is often referred to as "moving day" on the PGA TOUR. It is called that because the players have made the weekend and are jockeying to position themselves for a Sunday run at the championship. It was just such a day for Nathan Green and Briny Baird, posting a 65 and a 64 early in the day. However, as the day progressed the scoring became more difficult, the wind picked up and the greens dried out.

When this happens, the players are quick to adjust because they know exactly how far the ball should carry with each club. This allows them to adjust club selection based upon what the ball is going to do once on the ground. For instance, as the course firms up, the ball will release out more so they have to chose the landing spot to allow for the additional roll. This is often not the case for the players at home. As an instructor, I see a lot of golfers too focused on the total distance, while paying very little attention to the carry distance.

Start to learn the carry distance for each club in your bag and you can make adjustments based on conditions just like the pros. Look for the players like Robert Allenby, Ryan Palmer, and Zach Johnson to continue judging the conditions precisely and to be fighting it out for the title come Sunday afternoon.

Thus far at Waialae

Round Leaders Low round (par 70) Key links Ryan Palmer, Robert Allenby (11 under) 64: Briny Baird Daily Wrap-up | The Live Report Transcripts Round Leaders Low round (par 70) Key links Ryan Palmer (9 under) 63: Paul Goydos Daily Wrap-up | The Live Report Transcripts Round Leaders Low round (par 70) Key links R. Palmer, Z. Johnson, D. Love, T. Merritt, J. Merrick, R. Allenby 65: Six players Daily Wrap-up | The Live Report Transcripts

The Film Room

PGA TOUR Today Joe Cowart previews the final round, where co-leaders Robert Allenby and Ryan Palmer will be looking to hold off defending champion Zach Johnson. Watch it Round 3 Highlights Robert Allenby shoots a third-round 67 to share the lead with Ryan Palmer. The pair is three shots ahead of the foursome of Steve Stricker, Troy Matteson, Zach Johnson and Davis Love III. Watch it Shot of the Day: Palmer Ryan Palmer makes a spectacular sand save on the par-4 16th hole during the third round of the 2010 Sony Open in Hawaii. Watch it

Live Essentials

Follow every shot with our newest application The only place on the Internet for real-time live scoring Listen to expert commentary on the PGA TOUR Network News, notes, stats and analysis during each round