PGA Tee Times Saturday: Why Moving Day at the Sony Open Changes Everything

PGA Tee Times Saturday: Why Moving Day at the Sony Open Changes Everything

If you’re waking up today looking for the pga tee times saturday, you’re probably chasing that specific "Moving Day" energy. There is something fundamentally different about Saturday in professional golf. The cut is made. The dead weight is gone. Suddenly, the leaderboard feels like a pressure cooker.

Right now, we are looking at the 2026 Sony Open in Hawaii at Waialae Country Club. It’s a windy, ocean-side grind. Honestly, the Saturday pairings this year feel like a mix of "who is that?" and "oh, he’s still got it." Davis Riley is out there playing like his life depends on it, but the real story might be the 62-year-old Vijay Singh making cuts and showing the kids how to play in a crosswind.

Saturday Tee Times and the Moving Day Chaos

Saturday is when the math starts to get scary for the leaders. At Waialae, the wind usually kicks up off the Pacific around noon, making those later tee times a double-edged sword. You get the prestige of the final group, but you also get the 25 mph gusts that turn a simple wedge into a guessing game.

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Here is the thing: the pga tee times saturday aren't just a schedule. They are a roadmap of who survived Friday's carnage. This week, we saw some big names like Collin Morikawa and Keegan Bradley pack their bags early. That opens the door for the grinders.

Key Pairings to Watch Today

  • The Leaders: Davis Riley and S.H. Kim. They are the final group off at 3:15 PM local time (6:15 PM EST). Riley has a two-shot cushion, but that can evaporate in one hole on this course.
  • The Veteran Play: Vijay Singh and Zach Johnson. They go off at 10:55 AM local. It’s wild seeing Singh still competing at this level, especially at a course that requires so much precision.
  • The Young Guns: Nick Dunlap and Doug Ghim at 2:15 PM. Dunlap is still riding the momentum of his historic amateur-to-pro transition, and he’s dangerous when he gets hot.
  • The Fan Favorites: Jordan Spieth and Brian Harman. They’re out at 12:50 PM. Expect a lot of chatter and maybe a few "Spieth-ian" moments where a ball ends up in a hospitality tent before he miraculously saves par.

Why the Saturday Schedule Matters More Than Sunday

Most casual fans wait for Sunday. That’s a mistake. Saturday is where the tournament is actually won or lost. If you're looking at the pga tee times saturday, you'll notice the gaps between groups are tight—usually about 9 to 11 minutes. This creates a rhythmic flow to the broadcast that Sunday often lacks because of the mounting tension.

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Basically, if you aren't within four shots of the lead by the time the sun sets on Saturday in Honolulu, your chances of holding the trophy are statistically slim. Waialae isn't a course where you can just "bomb and gouge" your way back into it on Sunday. You need to be in position.

Logistics of Following the Action

If you're trying to catch every shot, remember that Hawaii time is a factor.

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  1. TV Coverage: Golf Channel usually picks up the main feed in the late afternoon EST.
  2. Streaming: ESPN+ is your best bet for the early groups. They have the "Main Feed" starting early, then they switch to "Featured Groups."
  3. Radio: If you're stuck in the car, SiriusXM PGA Tour Radio is actually surprisingly good for Saturday coverage. They capture the ambient noise of the wind and the crowd better than the TV cameras sometimes do.

What Most People Get Wrong About Saturday Pairings

People think the leaders are the only ones worth watching. Not true. The real drama often happens in the middle of the pack. Take someone like Sahith Theegala. He went off early today (9:28 AM local) with Aaron Rai. When a guy like Theegala starts five or six shots back on a Saturday morning, he’s going to take aggressive lines. He’s going to fire at pins. That’s where the "62" or "63" rounds come from.

By the time the leaders tee off in their pga tee times saturday slots, the course is often baked out. The greens are faster, the spike marks are more prominent, and the pressure is higher. It’s harder to go low in the afternoon.

Actionable Strategy for Golf Fans

  • Track the Wind: Check the local Honolulu weather around 1:00 PM. If the wind jumps from 10 mph to 22 mph, the guys teeing off late are in for a struggle.
  • Monitor the Par-5s: At Waialae, the 9th and 18th are the scoring holes. If a leader doesn't birdie both on Saturday, they’re essentially losing a stroke to the field.
  • Watch the Rookies: Keep an eye on guys like Adrien Dumont de Chassart. Saturday is the first time these young players feel the "weekend heat" of a PGA Tour leaderboard.

The pga tee times saturday tell a story of survival and opportunity. Whether you're pulling for the old guard like Singh or the new wave of talent, Saturday is the day the pretenders get separated from the contenders. Get your leaderboard app open and stay on top of the groups as they make the turn; that's when the real moving starts.