KAPALUA, Hawaii — With a chance to take the lead at Kapalua, Jimmy Walker missed in the one spot he was trying to avoid.

The way he was hitting his wedges Thursday, it really didn’t matter.

Walker hit a tough pitch to a tight pin on the elevated green to 3 feet for birdie on the par-5 15th, and nearly holed a lob wedge from 78 yards on No. 18 for an 8-under 65 that gave him a two-shot lead in the SBS Tournament of Champions.

Jim Herman, a former assistant at Trump National, was 6 under with a 67, as were Justin Thomas and Ryan Moore.