Leishman, Baddeley in touch at Sony PGA

Marc Leishman and Aaron Baddeley are in touch with the second-round leaders at the PGA's Sony Open at Honolulu's Waialae Country Club.

Leishman fired a five-under 65 to go with his first-round 66 to be three shots shy of Canadian Nick Taylor.

Taylor (12-under) shot a blistering eight-under-par 62 to emerge with a two-shot lead at the midpoint.

Stewart Cink, Webb Simpson, Russell Henley, Vaughn Taylor and Chris Kirk are tied for second at 10-under 130.

Victorian Leishman, who is tied for third, enjoyed a blemish-free round with birdies on the first, third, seventh, 10th and 12th holes.

Baddeley, who posted a brilliant 64 on Thursday, followed it up with a two-under 68.

It could have been much better for the four-time PGA Tour winner, who messed up his card with a bogey on the first and then a double bogey on the par-four 14th.

But he recovered with back-to-back birdies on 15 and 16 to be four shots off the pace.

Fellow Australians Adam Scott and Cameron Smith were a shot further back at seven-under.

Taylor, 32, is seeking his third career PGA Tour title. He won the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship and the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

His round was highlighted by a 67-yard chip-in for eagle at par-five 18th hole, ending the first half of his round. Taylor added consecutive birdies on No.3, No.4 and No.5 before his closing flourish.

Cink, enjoying a surge in the twilight of his career, putted for birdie on all but one hole Friday on his way to a seven-under 63.

The 47-year-old already won the Safeway Open in September, his first victory since the 2009 British Open at Turnberry.

He and his wife, a cancer survivor, have recovered from COVID-19. His 23-year-old son took leave from Delta Airlines to caddie for him.

"Having him there to sort of be a little bit fresher and look at things in a little bit more of a fresh way I think is the main thing he brings to me," Cink said.

"That, plus our relationship is so comfortable that I just don't ever find myself getting too high or low around him."