Tom Hoge was too caught up watching college basketball in his hotel room to be bothered with a push alert -- a false alarm, as it turned out -- that a ballistic missile was headed toward Hawaii.

 

He showed a steady hand on the golf course, too, even as the leaderboard at the Sony Open became increasingly crowded.

 

 

 

                 Hoge was at 16-under 194, one shot ahead of Brian Harman (68) and Patton Kizzire

 

 

Hoge finished off a 6-under 64 by holing a 40-foot birdie putt at the par-3 17th, and then hitting a 40-yard bunker shot to within 3 feet for a birdie on the par-5 closing hole at Waialae Country Club for a one-shot lead.

 

Hoge was at 16-under 194, one shot ahead of Brian Harman (68) and Patton Kizzire, who recovered from a double bogey on his opening hole and shot 64. Another shot behind was Kyle Stanley (65).

 

Seven players were separated by four shots, a big difference from a year ago when Justin Thomas led by seven going into the final round of his wire-to-wire victory.

 

Charles Howell III, Marc Leishman and other golfers participating in the Sony Open in Hawaii describe their responses and reactions to Saturday's false alarm missile alert.

 

Hoge has never led going to the final round on the PGA Tour in his 75 previous starts. He has never won.

 

"A new position," Hoge said. "It's a good one, obviously. I've been close to the lead a few times in the fall, so a little bit to draw on there. Haven't quite pulled it off yet. Just getting a little more belief in myself and hopefully, tomorrow will be a better day for me."

 

It should be a day where everyone can breathe a little easier compared with how Saturday began.

 

The False Missile Alert

 

Hawaii was buzzing -- literally -- when the push alert came through on mobile phones across the island shortly after 8 a.m. alerting of a missile. It said to seek shelter and that it was not a drill.

 

There was panic across the island. J.J. Spaun tweeted that he was in the basement of his hotel. John Peterson tweeted that he was in a bathtub with his family covered by mattresses.

 

 

"I was watching the TCU basketball game at the time, so I was a little frustrated with that," he said of his alma mater ultimately losing to Oklahoma. "The missile was kind of off my radar on that one. I don't even know what you do for a missile. So I wasn't really freaking out or anything. Some other people were around us. If it's going to be your last day, it's going to be your last day, right?

 

"To be here in Hawaii and see the beach and everything, I guess it would be a good spot to go."

 

Day 2: Brian Harman displays power to lead at the Sony Open in Hawaii