Challengers chasing Choi need big final rounds

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HONOLULU -- Kevin Na underwent LASIK surgery last month that hasn't made his eyes appreciably better. Watching K.J. Choi pull away from him and the rest of the field Saturday at the Sony Open in Hawaii wasn't something he particularly wanted to see anyway.

Troy Mattesson has his scores heading the right way. (Ferrey/WireImage)

Inside the Numbers

54-Hole Leaderboard

Player Scores To Par K.J. Choi 64-65-66--195 -15 Tim Wilkinson 68-69-62--199 -11 Steve Marino 65-67-68--200 -10 Kevin Na 67-64-69--200 -10 Troy Matteson 69-67-65--201 -9 Chad Campbell 66-69-66--201 -9 Jay Williamson 67-68-66--201 -9 Rory Sabbatini 66-69-66--201 -9

When the sun comes up Sunday morning at Waialae Country Club, Choi will enjoy a four-shot advantage over young New Zealander Tim Wilkinson, who fired a scintillating third-round 62, and five strokes over Na and Steve Marino. Four men -- Troy Matteson, Chad Campbell, Jay Williamson and Rory Sabbatini -- are six behind Choi's 15-under 195 aggregate score.

Campbell, Matteson and Sabbatini have won PGA TOUR titles while the others seek their first. It's not looking good for the posse, but nothing is ever a given in golf, and that's what players like Na are counting on.

"He's a good closer, but he still has to hit the shots and make the score," Na said with hope after a late burst salvaged a 69, losing three shots to his playing partner from Korea. "He still has to bring it in. Someone has to put some pressure on him."

"I'm going to have to go low, and he's going to have to help me," said Marino, who underwent successful LASIK surgery in early December. "K.J. is playing so well, so we can't expect that to happen. We have to go get him. It's not going to be easy."

Choi won twice last year to inflate his PGA TOUR victory count to six. Four times he led after 54 holes and held on, and he's 4-for-5 with a 36-hole lead. Perhaps the only bright spot for the pursuers is that his score has an upward progression: 64-65-66. A 67 on Sunday means Wilkinson needs a 63 -- not unreasonable. But the rest of the gang will need to really go low.

"I was thinking four (shots behind Choi) would be OK at the end of the day," Na said. "Five is still doable. I have to putt better than I did today. I missed some chances."

Marino had the same problem, giving himself good looks but only coming up with a 68, after making the turn even par. "I felt like I played pretty well, but I got off to a slow start," the second-year player said. "We have a lot of ground to make up."

Marino said you can't force the issue at Waialae. "You have to have the same mindset and just give yourself chances," he said.

The challengers also need to save a few strokes. Matteson, who posted a personal best 65 at Waialae Saturday, succeeded in that area. "I got away with a few out there today, and that's what you've got to do to play well out here," he said "You've got to get some up and downs, you've got to get some balls out from under the trees and make some pars, and that's the name of the game out here."

Campbell has been known to fire at a few flagsticks in his career that features four victories and a low of 61, which he's shot twice, including in his first win at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca Cola. He shot a 62 at Waialae on the way to a tie for second place in 2005. Putts must fall to do that, but that won't be the key as the fairways and greens continue to firm up while the rough remains penal.

"You've got to get the ball in the fairway," Campbell said after his third-round 66, which Williamson and Sabbatini also shot. "If you're not getting the ball in the fairway, you're just guessing all day and you can't do anything. So get the ball in the fairway and see what happens from there."

And hope that Choi doesn't just get too far out of sight.