Just misses out on first PGA Tour win Buckley had to settle for second place after shooting a two-under 68 in the final round of the Sony Open in Hawaii. Impact After a closing eagle in the third round, Buckley took a two-shot lead into the final round as he was seeking his first career PGA Tour victory. Buckley came right out and birdied the opening hole on Sunday, but after that just struggled to get anything going. Buckley was able to spark his round with birdies at 12 and 14 following a bogey at 11. Unfortunately a short miss on 15 would put him into a tie with Si Woo Kim. Buckley bounced back with a strong birdie putt at 16 just moments before Kim chipped in on 17. It came down to 18 where Buckley was not able to get up-and-down for birdie to match the four that Kim had made in the previous group. Buckley finished the week top-six in SG: Off-the-Tee, SG: Tee-to-Green, driving accuracy, and GIR percentage. The second-year player has a lot of upside due to that very impressive ball-striking. Buckley is not listed in the field for next week's American Express.
JANUARY 16, 2023 • ROTOWIRE
