Geoff Ogilvy's closest challengers were left demoralised and trailing in his wake after the Australian surged six strokes ahead of the field in the Mercedes-Benz Championship third round on Saturday.
Although relatively benign conditions at the Kapalua Resort led to a rash of low scores in the PGA Tour's opening event of the season, Ogilvy was among them as he fired a sparkling eight-under-par 65.
‘I was looking at the leaderboards on the back nine but I never saw Geoff's section, so I didn't know where he was,’ American Justin Leonard told reporters after climbing into a tie for second with an eight-birdie 65.
‘And then when I got to 18, I saw he was at 19 under. So it was a little deflating, to say the least.
‘Hats off to him,’ added Leonard, who will start Sunday's final round six strokes off the pace. ‘He's obviously playing great. I'm just going to go out and try and continue getting the rust off, try and end the week on a good note.’
Tour veteran Kenny Perry returned a flawless 68 to end a sun-baked day of light breezes seven shots behind Ogilvy.
‘It's definitely his tournament, so we all are going to be fighting for second it looks like,’ Perry said.
Although poor weather has been forecast for Sunday, forcing start times to be brought forward two-and-three-quarter hours, American D.J. Trahan accepts that Ogilvy's nearest challengers faced an uphill task.
‘Obviously with foul weather, sometimes that can stall a guy out,’ Trahan said after carding a 70 to share second place with Leonard at 13 under.
'But Geoff's playing so solidly, it's hard to say. It's going to be difficult to catch him.’
Ogilvy, seeking his fifth PGA Tour title, was prepared for all weather possibilities.
‘Either way, whatever forecast comes is what comes,’ the 31-year-old Australian said after piling up eight birdies in a bogey-free display on Kapalua's hilly Plantation Course.
‘I'd prefer it to not rain but that's a comfort level thing, not really a golf thing,’ he added with a laugh.
‘I'll just play in whatever weather we are going to play in. I don't see any reason to play any differently. If we have the same weather tomorrow, I'll play the same way.
‘I've never had a six-shot lead. Conventional wisdom says I want a good day and nice weather. I don't mind.’
