Another day, another awesome display by K.J. Choi.

Choi hit the golf ball so well at the Sony Open in Hawai'i yesterday that 66 was probably the worst he could have shot. It was good enough to double his advantage going into today's final round at Waialae Country Club.

At 15-under-par 195, Choi takes a four-shot lead into the last day of the PGA Tour's first full-field event of the year. His closest pursuer is Jim Wilkinson. The rookie from New Zealand might have been totally obscure here before his 62 yesterday had he not played with Tadd Fujikawa the first two rounds.

Steve Marino (68) and Kevin Na (69) are five back and Chad Campbell, Rory Sabbatini, Jay Williamson — who all shot 66 — and Troy Matteson (65) share fifth. Campbell and Sabbatini, who has played all 10 Sonys, shared second place two years ago when David Toms won.

One of the biggest leaps was taken by 1996 Hawai'i state high school champion Parker McLachlin. The Punahou graduate went out second after making the cut on the number Friday, bogeyed his first hole and then blew through his old workplace to shoot a 65 and bolt from 59th to a tie for 21st.

McLachlin hit a low liner off the face of his hybrid club on the final hole that covered 240 yards — "it probably ran the last 120" — and nearly went in for a double eagle. He had to settle for converting a 26-inch eagle putt to get to 6-under.

McLachlin, in his second full year on tour, also shot a third-round 65 here two years ago to move into the top 30. He finished 59th after a final-round 74 when he hit just two fairways and needed 34 putts. It was his first PGA paycheck and an extremely memorable lesson in learning how to trust himself against the best golfers in the world. That lesson kicked in late Thursday afternoon and McLachlin has since played Waialae the way he did as a kid.

"I remember thinking I know how to play the golf course. I've played it 400 or 500 times so I need to remember how to do it," McLachlin said. "I did it yesterday and again today. It's important for me not to play it like everybody else plays it, but how I know how to play it.

"I've had so many experiences since then (2006). I think the first thing I learned, which I also learned the first nine holes this week, is that I can't try too hard. I want to do so well here for everybody here and myself, but mostly for everybody out here who supports me. I'm trying as hard as I can to begin with, so trying more than that doesn't work in my favor."

With Fujikawa, Dean Wilson and the rest of the Hawai'i players missing the cut, McLachlin and Choi will probably be the most popular faces to follow today. McLachlin goes out at 11:45 a.m. with Shigeki Maruyama, while Choi and Wilkinson tee off last at 1:15 p.m.

Along with all the local fans he has here, Choi had 11 friends fly in from his home in South Korea yesterday morning. He has given everyone a show so good it will take something very special to catch him, and no one has yet when Choi leads after three rounds. The world's ninth-ranked golfer is 4-for-4, with a final-round average of 67, when leading after 54 holes. And his four-shot advantage is the largest here since Paul Azinger glided to a seven-shot victory in 2000.

Choi birdied the first two holes yesterday and playing partner Kevin Na lost touch immediately. Choi didn't miss a green until the 11th hole, which led to only his second bogey of the week, and he didn't miss a fairway until the next hole. Choi, going for his seventh PGA Tour victory today, also birdied both par-5s and dropped a 5-footer on the 14th for his smooth 66.

"I felt like it was going to be an easy round," Choi said through an interpreter. "But with the difficult pin positions it wasn't actually an easy round. I faced a lot of difficulties, but I think with all the fans supporting me out there I really felt comfortable. I felt a lot of support and was able to play with a lot of confidence. That's what got me going."

Choi ranks fifth in greens in regulation, sixth in fairways, ninth in putts and first in sand saves (5-for-5). Everybody has basically been chasing him since Friday morning. Yesterday was his worst round of the week, score-wise, but Choi has done this long enough and well enough — he was fifth on the money list last year with $4.6 million — to know it is not all about numbers.

"I'm more concerned about how I'm playing the rounds," said Choi, who has talked warmly of his rhythm since Thursday. "I'm very satisfied with my shots, the way I'm shaping my shots. I'm hitting the shots the way I want to. I feel really good about my shots and I think that's what matters."

Wilkinson's bogey-free round featured eight birdies, one out of the bunker at No. 7. It was one off David Toms' tournament record shot two years ago on his way to a win. Wilkinson was tied with Choi at 11-under by the time it was done, only Choi had yet to tee off.

A top-10 finish today will give Wilkinson more money than he won on the Nationwide Tour last year, in just his third PGA Tour start and the first since 2004, when he shared 27th at the Buick Championship with a final-round 64. He beat that yesterday and, at 7-under after 11 holes, surprisingly didn't start to think about a score in the 50s.

"It didn't come into my mind at all, funnily enough," Wilkinson said. "But on 12, 13 and 14 I left them (putts) right in the middle short, so had those gone in I probably would have thought about it."

The wind is finally expected to pick up today as the players get their last shot at catching Choi and the $954,000 first prize.

Sony Open in Hawai‘i

Third Round
At Wai'alae Country Club.
Purse: $5.3 million.
Yardage: 7,044; Par 70.
K.J. Choi 64-65-66—195
Tim Wilkinson 68-69-62—199
Steve Marino 65-67-68—200
Kevin Na 67-64-69—200
Troy Matteson 69-67-65—201
Chad Campbell 66-69-66—201
Jay Williamson 67-68-66—201
Rory Sabbatini 66-69-66—201
J.B. Holmes 68-70-64—202
Doug LaBelle II 67-69-66—202
Steve Stricker 71-65-66—202
Pat Perez 69-66-67—202
Fred Funk 69-64-69—202
Stephen Ames 70-68-65—203
Tom Pernice, Jr. 70-67-66—203
Mark Wilson 72-65-66—203
Dustin Johnson 68-68-67—203
Jerry Kelly 67-67-69—203
Chez Reavie 68-66-69—203
Heath Slocum 65-69-69—203
Parker McLachlin 73-66-65—204
Shigeki Maruyama 68-68-68—204
Carl Pettersson 67-68-69—204
Brian Gay 67-67-70—204
Brad Adamonis 66-68-70—204
Jesper Parnevik 69-70-66—205
Matt Jones 68-69-68—205
Daniel Chopra 66-71-68—205
Alejandro Canizares 67-67-71—205
Bubba Watson 70-69-67—206
Jeff Maggert 69-69-68—206
Tom Lehman 70-68-68—206
Yusaku Miyazato 68-69-69—206
Y.E. Yang 69-68-69—206
Zach Johnson 67-70-69—206
Vaughn Taylor 67-70-69—206
Liang Wen-chong 70-66-70—206
Jim McGovern 71-65-70—206
Bob Estes 69-66-71—206
Jimmy Walker 65-68-73—206
Vijay Singh 70-68-69—207
Jim Furyk 68-70-69—207
John Merrick 69-69-69—207
Paul Azinger 70-68-69—207
J.P. Hayes 66-70-71—207
Scott Sterling 70-69-69—208
Patrick Sheehan 71-68-69—208
Cameron Beckman 67-71-70—208
Daisuke Maruyama 68-69-71—208
Spencer Levin 67-68-73—208
James Driscoll 66-69-73—208
Martin Laird 69-70-70—209
Kiyoshi Miyazato 69-70-70—209
George McNeill 68-71-70—209
Steve Lowery 66-72-71—209
Kevin Streelman 68-69-72—209
Shane Bertsch 71-66-72—209
Briny Baird 68-68-73—209
John Mallinger 67-72-71—210
Sean O’Hair 69-70-71—210
Chad Collins 67-70-73—210
Robert Gamez 67-70-73—210
Matt Kuchar 70-67-73—210
John Riegger 67-69-74—210
Dudley Hart 68-69-74—211
Mitsuhiro Tateyama 66-70-75—211
Mark Calcavecchia 68-71-73—212
Jason Allred 69-69-74—212

Today's tee times
8:20 a.m.—Mark Calcavecchia, Jason Allred. 8:27—Dudley Hart, Mitsuhiro Tateyama. 8:36—Matt Kuchar, John Riegger. 8:45—Chad Collins, Robert Gamez. 8:54—John Mallinger, Sean O’Hair. 9:03—Shane Bertsch, Briny Baird. 9:12—Steve Lowery, Kevin Streelman. 9:21—Kiyoshi Miyazato, George McNeill. 9:30—James Driscoll, Martin Laird. 9:39—Daisuke Maruyama, Spencer Levin. 9:48—Patrick Sheehan, Cameron Beckman. 9:57—J.P. Hayes, Scott Sterling. 10:06—John Merrick, Paul Azinger. 10:15—Vijay Singh, Jim Furyk. 10:24—Bob Estes, Jimmy Walker. 10:33—Liang Wen-chong, Jim McGovern. 10:42—Zach Johnson, Vaughn Taylor. 10:51—Yusaku Miyazato, Y.E. Yang. 11:00—Jeff Maggert, Tom Lehman. 11:09—Alejandro Canizares, Bubba Watson. 11:18—Matt Jones, Daniel Chopra. 11:27—Brad Adamonis, Jesper Parnevik. 11:36—Carl Pettersson, Brian Gay. 11:45—Parker McLachlin, Shigeki Maruyama. 11:54—Chez Reavie, Heath Slocum. 12:03 p.m.—Dustin Johnson, Jerry Kelly. 12:12—Tom Pernice, Jr., Mark Wilson. 12:21—Fred Funk, Stephen Ames. 12:30—Steve Stricker, Pat Perez. 12:39—J.B. Holmes, Doug LaBelle II. 12:48—Jay Williamson, Rory Sabbatini. 12:57—Troy Matteson, Chad Campbell. 1:06—Steve Marino, Kevin Na. 1:15—K.J. Choi, Tim Wilkinson.

Reach Ann Miller at amiller@honoluluadvertiser.com.