Allenby, Palmer tied for the lead at Sony Open

HONOLULU (AP) — Robert Allenby and Ryan Palmer avoided bogeys on a windy day at Waialae and made enough birdies Saturday to share the lead at the Sony Open and give themselves a small cushion over a crowded leaderboard.

Neither of them were spectacular, although they didn’t need to be.

With no one making a move, Allenby made three birdies inside 4 feet for a 3-under 67 and his first time atop the leaderboard through three rounds on the PGA Tour in more than six years.

Palmer, who started with a one-shot lead, two-putted from long range on the last two holes — one for par, the other for birdie — for a 68 to catch the Australian.

They were at 11-under 199, three shots clear of Davis Love III (68), Troy Matteson (68), Steve Stricker (69) and defending champion Zach Johnson (70).

Five more players were another shot back, including a pair of 50-year-olds in Tom Lehman and Michael Allen.

All their hopes start with the play of Allenby and Palmer, who have been steady throughout the week. The more surprising of the two is Allenby, even though he ended last year with victories in South Africa and Australia. He severely twisted his ankle Monday, and even now is walking gingerly on the relatively flat course of Waialae.