Kapalua's Irwin leads by two at Turtle Bay

Associated Press

KAHUKU — It's a new look for the Senior PGA Tour's annual October visit, but the same old faces have blown to the top of the inaugural Turtle Bay Championship.

Going into today's final round at the Palmer Course, Hale Irwin leads John Jacobs and Hubert Green by two shots, Don Pooley by three and George Archer and Dick Mast by four.

All but Pooley and Mast, who is playing on a sponsor's exemption, have won in Hawai'i. Irwin, flirting with kama'aina status based on his long Kapalua affiliation, could practically buy an island with his paradise paychecks. He's won here six times in 20 years.

Then again, Irwin, 56, could buy a small country with his winnings all over the planet. The tour's career money leader (regular and senior tour combined) is closing on $20 million. A victory today would make him $225,000 richer and give him 32 senior championships.

None have come since April, Irwin's longest single-season victory drought in five years.

After shooting a 4-under-par 68 yesterday, Irwin admitted to "a little frustration" and nagging physical problems. He is coping with tendinitis in his right wrist and injured his ankle in a March victory. He has struggled with his swing since, leading to "wild gyrations" in his scoring.

He is a measly third on the money list, after Allen Doyle — whose 69 catapulted him into seventh yesterday — and Bruce Fleisher.

"I'm kind of just getting it done," Irwin said. "It's not being done with a lot of pizzazz. I'm leaving a lot of things out there. It's not that real solid kind of play I've had the last several seasons."

It was hard to tell yesterday. In relentless 20- to 25-mph winds, Irwin and Tom McGinnis — who opened with an 80 Friday — were the only golfers to go as low as 68. Irwin padded his lead, and moved to seven under for the tournament, with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 final hole.

Archer, who won the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai last year at the age of 60, and Jacobs, who won there in 1999, went into the 18th a shot behind Irwin. They came out in various states of confusion.

Both went for the green with their second shot. Jacobs just made it over the water, but three-putted from the fringe for par. Archer hit his ball into the rocks. It took a sideways splash and he three-putted for double bogey.

That pushed Green, who won the 1978 and '79 Hawaiian Opens, into the top three. He hit a poor tee shot on the final hole — "Just to make sure I couldn't get on in two," he joked — and a "full 2-iron" 75 yards short.

A wedge to two feet and the ensuing birdie putt gave him a share of second. He played the final 11 holes in four under, including birdie on the 11th. Ted Goin is the only other player to birdie that par-4 in two days. It ranks as the tournament's toughest hole, not that any are playing easy.

With the ubiquitous wind and Friday's horizontal rain, which Jacobs characterized as "diabolical," committing to a shot — and not questioning club selection — has been a constant challenge.

"It's been awhile since we've played in this kind of wind condition," Irwin said. "We play in gusty wind occasionally but this is pretty steady at 20 or 25 mph and that is not something we encounter a great deal."

Green, who has just one Top-10 finish this year, gave up on his wide-brimmed hat on the first green. He was thinking more about keeping it on than sinking his putt.

"A good player likes playing in very difficult situations," he said. "Of course Hale is probably the toughest player we have out here and he hit a lot of solid shots."

SHORT PUTTS: Qualifier Larry Stubblefield, from Kailua, shot 74 yesterday and is tied for 26th at 146. ... Former Maui resident Dick McClean (74) is another shot back. ... Steve Veriato, who grew up in Hilo, is at 77-149. ... Ha'uula's Lance Suzuki, who recently turned 50 and is playing on a sponsor's exemption, shot 80-154. ... Don Pooley first came to Turtle Bay 25 years ago, on his honeymoon. ... Bobby Wadkins shot 74 Friday, his first round above par since joining the Senior Tour in August. He had a streak of 21 rounds at par or better, and was 50 under in that period. ... Bruce Fleisher, the 1999 champion and No. 2 on the money list, made a late decision to take this week off, after earlier commiting to play. ... In the 14 years this event was played on Maui, the worst score by a first-round leader was 66. The first-round leaders here Friday shot 68. ... Doug Sanders withdrew at the turn with a leg injury.