Defending champion Nick Taylor stays in contention at PGA Tour's Sony Open

[p]Canada's [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/taylor-nick/bRN84Bas/"]Taylor[/a] had four birdies and three bogeys in his one-under par 69 at Waialae Country Club to join a five-way tie for the halfway lead on nine-under 131.[/p][p]Taylor, who started the day tied with [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/roy-kevin/p2QBMv50/"]Kevin Roy[/a] on eight-under, had moved to 10-under with birdies at the 15th and 16th, but missed the green on the way to a bogey at the par-three 17th.[/p][p][b]"The wind was strong and with some gusts,"[/b] Taylor said of the tougher conditions that prevailed on the par-70 course in Honolulu. [b]"A lot of holes were relatively crosswind, so it was tough to get yardages correctly.[/b][/p][p][b]"I felt like I hit it probably not as good off the tee today, but it was definitely difficult with the wind."[/b][/p][embed guid="c399fdcf-d737-4b7f-8d80-38face2c67ab" url="https://x.com/PGATOURComms/status/2012382387548901703" social-type="twitter" /][p]Roy maintained his share of the lead with a one-under 69 that also featured four birdies - the last at his final hole, the par-five ninth.[/p][p]The two were joined at nine-under by [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/riley-davis/neIpEexj/"]Davis Riley[/a], South Korean [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/kim-seong-hyeon/fTaAexPB/"]Kim Seong-hyeon[/a] and Belgian [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/dumont-de-chassart-adrien/jNXrbeLp/"]Adrien Dumont de Chassart[/a].[/p][p]Riley matched the best round of the day with a six-under 64 that included seven birdies and a bogey.[/p][p]Dumont de Chassart posted a three-under 67 and Kim carded a 68.[/p][p]The leading group was one stroke clear of a quartet sharing sixth on 132.[/p][p]Former world number one [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/singh-vijay/nBG7KNV5/"]Vijay Singh[/a], 62, made the cut in his first PGA Tour start since 2021.[/p][embed guid="d3060397-98f7-44cd-b54b-d94a35f23c39" url="https://x.com/ChampionsTour/status/2012295473789337795" social-type="twitter" /][p]Singh has opted to use the tour's one-time career money exemption, by which he is eligible for full-field events all season as a player inside the top 50 in career earnings.[/p][p]The three-time major winner still sits in sixth place on the all-time money list with $71.2 million.[/p][p]The Fijian opened with a two-under 68 and posted an even par 70 on Friday and a two-under made the cut by two strokes.[/p][p]The event is the first of 2026 after the cancellation of The Sentry at Kapalua because of drought and water restrictions affecting the course on Maui.[/p]