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The Honolulu Advertiser

Updated at 9:09 p.m., Saturday, January 13, 2007

Fujikawa shoots 66 again, vaults into contention

Advertiser Staff

The improbable just happened. The Kid is in contention.

Tadd Fujikawa, 16, who on Friday became the youngest player in 50 years to make a PGA Tour cut, continued his unbelievable roll and is now among the leaders.

Fujikawa has recorded six birdies, including three over a four-hole stretch on two different occasions, and shot a 4-under par 66 Saturday in the third round of the Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club.

"It was a lot more relaxing today, knowing I don't have anything to lose," Fujikawa told The Golf Channel. "I'm not playing for any money ... yet."

Fujikawa is 7-under for the tournament and went from a tie for 25th at the start of the day to a tie for eighth.

"I felt that if I played well, there would be a good chance (of making a lot of birdies)," he told The Golf Channel. "I'm playing great right now; my swing feels good."

Fujikawa, a 5-foot-1 Moanalua High School sophomore, opened with a par, and bogeyed the second hole -- a 423-yard, par-4.

Then came the birdie barrage, where Fujikawa birdied holes Nos. 3, 5, 6, and then holes Nos. 9, 11, 12.

He birdied on the 422-yard, par-3 hole. He parred the fourth -- a 204-yard par-3. He then birdied the fifth hole -- a 467-yard, par-4, and birdied the sixth -- a 460-yard, par-4.

Fujikawa parred the seventh, a par 3, and the eighth, a par 4.

The then birdied the 506-yard, par-5 ninth to make the turn at 3-under 32.

He then parred the 10th, but birdied again, on hole No. 11, a 194-yard, par 3, and No. 12, a 440-yard, par 4.

He parred the par-4 13th, the par-4 14th, and the par-4 15th.

He three-putted for a bogey on the 417-yard, par-4 16th.

Fujikawa just missed birdie attempts on the final two holes -- on 194-yard, par 3 17tth and the 551-yard, par-5 18th -- to close with a back-nine score of 1-under 34 for a 4-under 66.

Fujikawa shot a 1-over 71 Thursday and a 4-under 66 Friday to make the cut, which was at even par. On Friday, he had four birdies, an eagle and two bogeys. He closed his historic round with an eagle on the closing 18th hole to a roar of the gallery.

The 72-hole tournament, whose field was cut after Friday's round from 144 players to the top 70 and ties, ends Sunday.

Fujikawa, the lone amateur in the field, will not be able to cash in on any money in the $5.2 million Sony Open purse. First place is $936,000. Last place is $10,400.