Davis Riley takes 2-shot lead in PGA Tour opener at wind-swept Waialae

HONOLULU (AP) — Davis Riley birdied four of the last seven holes Saturday at wind-swept Waialae Country Club for a 3-under 67 and a two-stroke lead with a round left in the PGA Tour’s season-opening Sony Open.

Riley was at 12-under 198 on the oceanside course, with Harry Hall (66), Chris Gotterup (68) and Kevin Roy (69) tied for second.

“You got to make some gritty pars in these conditions and just try to make some putts on these fast greens in crosswinds in tough putting conditions when you have a chance," Riley said.

Riley rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 11th with a birdie on the par-4 12th. He hit a wedge inside 2 feet on the par-4 14th and made a 15-footer on the par-4 15th. On the par-5 18th, he ran his 60-footer 7 1/2 feet past and made the comebacker.

“I just started feeling really good with the swing and I was hitting my start lines,” Riley said. “That’s the biggest thing in this wind, is hit your start lines and control the curvature, and I felt like I was hitting some really good hold shots against the wind and hitting my start lines.”

The 29-year-old Riley is ranked 101st in the world. He won the 2024 Charles Schwab Challenge for his lone individual PGA Tour title, and teamed with Nick Hardy to win the 2023 Zurich Classic.

He started slow Saturday, making bogeys on Nos. 1 and 3.

“I could feel myself a little tense or trying to force it a little early just because we’re coming off the offseason,” Riley said. “We hadn’t had really any competitive juices like this in a couple months. I definitely felt like I was forcing it a little bit early and trying to be a little perfect and I just felt a little tense.”

Hall rebounded from a bogey on 15 with a birdie on 16. The Englishman won a playoff in the 2024 ISCO Championship for his lone PGA Tour title.

“Hitting the ball where I’m looking and doing well judging the wind tee to green,” Hall said. “Did a lot better job today of making some putts.”

Gotterup closed with a 10-foot birdie putt on 18. He won the 2024 Myrtle Beach Classic and the 2025 Scottish Open.

“I would say putting today was probably the toughest,” Gotterup said. “Obviously, hitting shots in this wind is hard, but it’s hard for everyone. I think late in the day some of the greens get a little tough after everyone has walked on them. Not that they’re in bad shape, but when it’s blowing 25 (mph) off your left and you got a left-to-righter, it’s not easy to make anywhere, and especially here.”

Roy is winless on the tour. He had a share of the first-round lead with defending champion Nick Taylor and was part of a five-man logjam at the top Friday with Riley, Taylor, S.H. Kim and Adrien Dumont de Chassart.

Taylor struggled on the back nine Saturday in a 70 that left the Canadian three shots back with Ryan Gerard (68) and John Parry (69).

“I grinded it out and gave myself a chance for tomorrow,” Taylor said. “That’s kind of all you can ask for.”

Fellow Canadian Corey Conners had a 65 to get to 8 under.

“I like when it’s windy here,” Conners said. “I think it really puts a premium on the ball-striking. You really got control your ball. Was able to hit a lot of good shots.”

Jordan Spieth birdied the 18th for his third 68 to reach 6 under. Hideki Matsuyama also was 6 under after a 65. He won at Waialae in a playoff in 2022.

Vijay Singh was 4 under after a 68. The 62-year-old Hall of Famer is using a one-time career money exemption to play in full-field events. He’s making his 25th start in the event he won in 2005.

The season started a week later than usual because The Sentry at Kapalua on Maui was canceled due to water issues.

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Ryan Gerard hits on the 14th hole during the third round of the Sony Open golf event at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Kota Kaneko, of Japan, hits on the 16th hole during the third round of the Sony Open golf event at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Adam Svensson, of Canada, hits from the 17th tee during the third round of the Sony Open golf event at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Harry Hall, of England, hits from the second tee during the third round of the Sony Open golf event at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

Davis Riley hits on the 17th hole during the third round of the Sony Open golf event at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (AP Photo/Matt York)

DENVER (AP) — Josh Allen knows all about heartbreaking losses in the playoffs. After yet another one Saturday, he stood at a microphone and wiped away tears.

This might have been the best chance for Allen and the Bills to get to the Super Bowl. He’s heard that, too, and after he committed four of Buffalo's five turnovers in a 33-30 loss to Denver in the divisional round of the AFC playoffs, he had to answer questions about coming up short yet again.

“Extremely difficult,” Allen said, while choking back tears. “I felt like I let my teammates down.”

For a change, there was no Patrick Mahomes and the Chiefs in his way, no Lamar Jackson and the Ravens or Joe Burrow and the Bengals. Only Bo Nix and the top-seeded but unproven Denver Broncos. Denver turned all those turnovers into 16 points, including the game-ending 23-yard field goal by Wil Lutz.

Allen watched Lutz’s field goal sail through the uprights, then quickly hopped up, headed onto the field and then into the locker room. He will watch as the Broncos move on to face either New England or Houston without Nix, who broke his right ankle late in overtime and will have surgery that will sideline him for the rest of the playoffs.

“Can’t win with five turnovers,” said Allen, who threw two interceptions and lost two fumbles. “You shoot yourself in the foot like that you don’t deserve to win the football game.”

The Bills, who beat Jacksonville in the wild-card round, became the first NFL team to win a playoff game in six straight seasons without capturing a Super Bowl. Allen's eight playoff wins are most for any QB in the Super Bowl era who hasn’t played in a Super Bowl.

What’s more, Allen became the second player in the last 20 postseasons with two or more interceptions and at least two lost fumbles, joining Arizona's Carson Palmer, who accomplished the feat against the Panthers in the 2015 NFC championship game.

The thought could be dawning on Allen and Bills fans that it’s no longer inevitable that he’ll hoist a Lombardi Trophy someday. Last season's MVP, who often seems to will the Bills to victory by himself, turns 30 in May.

“I haven’t been doing a lot of talking other than I love my teammates,” Allen said. “Extremely sorry and disappointed.”

Bills coach Sean McDermott defended Allen.

“No, it’s not on him,” McDermott said. “We had opportunities — all of us — and I’m extremely proud of him. He’s a tremendous person, tremendous leader, tremendous quarterback. Yeah, there are plays we all want back.”

One of the plays that had McDermott miffed after the game occurred midway through overtime, when Allen's long pass to Brandin Cooks was wrestled away by Broncos cornerback Ja’Quan McMillian for an interception. McDermott thought Cooks had possession and down by contact.

McDermott called timeout to get the officials to at least take a longer look at the play. Had Cooks caught the ball, the Bills would have been well within field-goal range.

“It's hard for me to understand why it was ruled the way it was ruled,” McDermott said. “And if it is ruled that way, then why wasn't it slowed down, just to make sure that we have this right. That would've made a lot of sense to me. To make sure we have this thing right.

“I'm saying it because I’m standing up for Buffalo ... I'm standing up for us. What went on is not how it should go down.”

Referee Carl Cheffers explained to a pool reporter: “The receiver has to complete the process of a catch. He was going to the ground as part of the process of the catch and he lost possession of the ball when he hit the ground. The defender gained possession of it at that point. The defender is the one that completed the process of the catch, so the defender was awarded the ball.”

After the pick, the Broncos drove the ball deep into Bills territory courtesy of a pair of pass-interference calls, one on Taron Johnson and another from Tre'Davious White, who also drew an unsportsmanlike-conduct penalty. Those flags got the Broncos so close that Lutz's game-ending kick was a formality.

“It's going to stick with me for a long time,” Allen said. “Losing in the playoffs is not fun.”

AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) leaves the field after an NFL divisional round playoff football game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen (17) greets Denver Broncos quarterback Bo Nix (10) after an NFL divisional round playoff football game, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/Jack Dempsey)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen responds to question during a news conference after an NFL divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen enters a news conference after an NFL divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)

Buffalo Bills quarterback Josh Allen responds to questions during a news conference after an NFL divisional playoff game against the Denver Broncos, Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026, in Denver. (AP Photo/RJ Sangosti)