Fellow American Brooks Koepka leads the chase after 10 birdies in a round of 63 – the best of the event so far.
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Reed’s playing partner and world number one Jordan Spieth finished one shot behind on seven-under after another blemish-free round, registering seven birdies.
The 22-year-old Texan chipped in for eagle, made a pair of tough par saves late and ended his round Friday with a 15-foot birdie putt into the grain that stopped on the lip and then dropped into the cup for a 9-under 64.
“I guess it’s possible but that’s asking a lot”, Spieth told reporters at the Kapalua Plantation course on Maui.
With that trio three shots clear of Brandt Snedeker and Fabian Gomez in tied fourth, it looks like being a three-way for the title on the final day. “We should have some good conditions so I have to go out and make some birdies”.
Koepka, who was one of the high-profile players to swap equipment staffs in the off-season with a move to Nike, is already feeling confident with his new equipment, suggesting he’s actually gotten even longer off the tee wih his new sticks than he had been in the past. It added to an 8-under 65 and a five-shot lead over Brooks Koepka.
McDowell has carded two double-bogeys in a back nine of 40 on Thursday, but he picked up two of his three birdies to come home in two-under 35 in his second round.
World No. 1 Jordan Spieth seems to say the right things at the right time.
“It just comes down to no bogeys”, he said.
“Nothing changes for me”, he said. “Today I was making putts”. Reed remains the only player at Kapalua this week without a bogey, though a 67 left him six shots behind.
European – Brandon Stone and Daniel Brooks share the lead at the South African Open in Johannesburg after the third round was suspended because of approaching thunderstorms and the threat of lightning Saturday.
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Kisner eagled the par-five fifth and strung together three straight birdies from 10 through 12 among his six birdies.
