Sony Open: 3 things to know after Round 2 in Hawaii

Five players are two shots back. Eight are three back. Three are four back. Seventeen players are five back. Who’s contending? Who isn’t? Here are three things you need to know after Friday’s second round of the Sony Open at Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

Nick Taylor leads 

One player is no shots back. 

Nick Taylor, behind an seven-birdie-one-eagle stretch over his final 12 holes, shot an eight-under 62, tied for the day’s low round, for a 12-under total and the two-stroke lead. At 10 under are Webb Simpson, Stewart Cink, Russell Henley, Chris Kirk and Vaughn Taylor. 

On the 503-yard, par-5 9th — Taylor’s finishing hole after starting on the back nine — Taylor hit his drive below the netting that separated the hole from the driving range to the left, was able to receive a drop, then birdied the hole after he chipped to within about 3 feet on his third shot. 

“I’ve putt well the last two days,” Taylor said. “Early on today, the first four or five holes, I made some nice par putts. I was one over, and then I started hitting it better and giving myself opportunities and kept making putts.”

Five players are tied for second 

Cink, after a 63, heads the players tied for second. Henley shot a 64, Simpson and Kirk a 65, and Taylor fired a 66.     

At 9 under are Collin Morikawa, Hideki Matsuyama, Joaquin Niemann, Billy Horschel, Marc Leishman, Charley Hoffman, Brendan Steele and Peter Malnati.

Adam Scott is five shots back 

Among other players, Adam Scott shot a seven-under 64 and is five shots back, and Sergio Garcia is seven strokes behind. 

Among the players missing the cut, at four under, were Abraham Ancer, Matt Kuchar and Vijay Singh.