Mon, Jan 22, 2007 page18

• Irwin surges to lead at MasterCard

  • AP
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  Hale Irwin shot a 10-under 62 and took a three-stroke lead over Tom Kite and Brad Bryant after the second round of the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship on Saturday.

  The 61-year-old Irwin, coming off his first winless season in 12 years, had 10 birdies in his bogey-free round for a 16-under 128 total.

  He just missed shooting his age when a 4m birdie putt on No. 18 came up just short and to the right. Irwin hunched over, flipping his cap backward.

  

  Hale Irwin begins to celebrate a putt that went in for a birdie on the 16th hold during the second round of the Champions Tour's MasterCard Championship gold tournament in Kaupulehu, Hawaii, on Saturday. Irwin finished with a 10-under-par 62 in the second round and is in the lead at 16-under for the tourament.

  PHOTO: AP

  "I can still do this," he said. "It's not like I've lost it and it's gone. It's back. Just what will I do with it now?"

  Kite shot a 64 and Bryant, the first-round leader, had a 68. Jim Thorpe had a 63 to join defending champion Loren Roberts (67) at 12 under.

  Allen Doyle (67), Jerry Pate (67) and Ben Crenshaw (68) were 11 under.

  Irwin, who has a record 44 wins on the Champions Tour, is seeking his first win since the 2005 SAS Championship.

  He missed winning last year for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 1995.

  "I just probably lost a step here and half a step there and that's all it takes," he said.

  "All in all, it wasn't a terrible year, but I just didn't play the kind of golf I'm capable of playing, which I've shown the last two days," he said.

  Irwin has been working out more and trying to fix the kinks in his game.

  He birdied four straight holes twice, once each on the front and back nines.

  His tap-in birdie on the par-4 15th, gave him his first lead at 15 under.

  Irwin has owned Hawaii like no other golfer, winning eight times on the senior tour including the 1997 MasterCard and the 1981 Hawaiian Open on the US PGA Tour. He has US$3.9 million in winnings, including unofficial money, in the state.

  Irwin said he would need to stay aggressive and probably needed a 65 or 66 to force his rivals to shoot an amazing round yesterday to win.

  "If you just try to sit on a lead, you'll probably end up doing what I did on the last hole," he said. "You get too careful. You'll get too anxious and not succeed."

  Kite had seven birdies and made a 13m eagle putt on the par-5 10th.

  His only mistake was a bogey on the par-3 17th when his 8-iron fell short of the green and he missed a 1.5m putt for par.

  Kite said he realizes Irwin is hungry for a win.

  "He's not the only one hungry, though," he said. "It's going to take some good golf tomorrow to catch Hale."

  Irwin is almost unbeatable when he leads or share the lead heading into Sunday, winning 29 of 40 times.

  With a cigar in mouth and a brand new Callaway putter in hand, Thorpe had a personal-best 22 putts in a round that included seven birdies and an eagle on the 550m 10th, the longest hole at Hualalai.

  His four birdie putts on the final six holes were all within 1.5m.

  "I found a way to keep your putting strokes low -- miss more greens," he said.

  "It builds your confidence when you make those short putts. So if things don't good tomorrow, I might just miss a green on purpose and chip it and go up-and-down to get some confidence," he said.

  Only Gil Morgan (73) and Bob Gilder (77) shot over par during the round on Saturday.

  "How would you like to shoot a 13-under par and be three behind?" Irwin asked.

  A day after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, 71-year-old Gary Player was 6 under after his second 69, again beating his age by two strokes.

  Player moved into contention at 9 under with a birdie on the par-4 16th, but triple-bogeyed No. 18 after hooking his drive and dropping his approach in the sand.

  "Anytime you end up with a 7, it's a lousy bit of medicine," he said.

  "I got a little greedy. I tried to hit it hard and hooked it around the corner and I just hit a terrible shot," he said.

  The Hall of Famer is one of four invited players at Hualalai, along with Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd and Lanny Wadkins.
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