Golf-Late birdie rush puts Thomas seven ahead in Hawaii

(Reuters) - Justin Thomas overpowered Waialae Country Club over the previous two days but his patience was tested early in the third round on Saturday before he caught fire to stretch his overnight lead to seven shots at the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii.

The American parred the first eight holes before he finally clicked into gear with consecutive birdies, followed by a strong finish as he carded a five-under-par 65 for a 22-under total of 188 in the PGA Tour's first full-field event of the year.

His aggregate of 188 tied the record low for 54 holes on the PGA Tour, set by Steve Stricker at the 2010 John Deere Classic.

"Just patience," the long-hitting 23-year-old told Golf Channel when asked…