Irwin in four-way tie for Turtle Bay lead at 6-under
By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer
KAHUKU — Hale Irwin figures today's final round of the Turtle Bay Championship is wide open, with 16 golfers within three shots of first. Everyone else is watching Irwin, who shares the lead with Dick Mast, Mike Smith and Morris Hatalsky after yesterday's second round at Turtle Bay's Palmer Course.
All start at 6-under-par 138, Mast reaching that mark with a 5-under 67 in yesterday's 20-mph wind and the others coming in at 69. Normally, 10 under would be a good goal today, Smith theorized. But Irwin, the Senior PGA's $16.5 million man, has been abnormally good since he joined the tour in 1995.
"We might have to go lower than that if Irwin is six under," Smith said. "He is such a great player. He does it week after week after week. He is just amazing. One of the greatest players ever. He'll probably set the pace for everybody. You expect him to play good and I'm sure he will."
At the age of 57, Irwin is supposed to be slowing. That's the way this tour worked, until he came along and started re-writing records and setting gold standards.
"He's a good scrambler ... the best fairway wood player in the world and he's been our No. 1 putter the last three years," Mast said. "So you've got one of the best drivers in the world, one of the best closers as far as experience ... there's just no weak link in his game."
In 24 starts this year, Irwin — No. 1 on the money list — has 20 top-10 finishes. In his career, he has eight victories in Hawai'i, including the last three Senior Skins Games and this tournament three times.
He is the man to beat today, as he's been most of his senior career. Hatalsky, who will probably be the 2002 Rookie of the Year, is the only other leader with a senior victory. Mast and Smith, who both qualified last November, are having the best years of their lives yet quickly said that Irwin is in another golf world.
The beauty is that, between Turtle Bay's tradewinds, unpredictable new greens and the goofy nature of this game, anything really could happen today. Ask Irwin, whose tee shot on the 13th hole bounced at a 45-degree angle off the rocks, past the flag, through the green and into an area where he could easily get up and down for par.
"It could have gone in the hole," he said with a huge grin. "Actually ... I guess I felt guilty because I missed putts on the next two holes."
That was the start of a roller-coaster ride on the final few holes. Irwin missed a flurry of eight-foot putts and finished bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie. He blamed it on concentrating too hard on "not overpowering" the wind and getting "too loose" on the back nine.
"Every shot was either very nice or not too memorable," he said. "From that shot off the rocks on in it was ... kind of suspect. But as I say that, I'm tied for the lead going into the last day so I have no complaints. I don't feel I've played my best golf yet, but if I play the way I've been playing this year I'll have an excellent chance."
This is not news to those who have chased him for so long. That includes golf commentator Gary McCord, who is a shot back, and Isao Aoki, Bob Gilder, John Bland and Jim Albus — all two back. Gilder, No. 2 on the money list, closed in with a 66 yesterday — one off the tournament record. Aoki had a 67. Albus, 62, was the only one of the three first-round leaders who was not over par.
Hilo's Steve Veriato (71) is tied for 10th, three shots back. R.W. Eaks and Steve Stull, the other Friday leaders, are among that group of seven after shooting 73 yesterday. Both eagled the final hole, Stull blasting in from the bunker and Eaks sinking a 15-foot putt.
Those closest to Irwin are an intriguing bunch.
Hatalsky has worked his way up to No. 11 on the money list despite starting the season as a Monday qualifier. His win in Utah six weeks ago ended a victory drought of 12 years, 1 month and 10 days, and put him over the $1 million mark in just his 16th event of the season. He has 12 top-10 finishes, a percentage that is almost Irwin-esque.
He attributes his success to re-evaluating his game, particularly his formerly-vaunted short game, after he failed to qualify last November.
"When I missed that it was a huge disappointment. It never entered my mind I was going to miss qualifying," he said. "I ended up really re-evaluating, went through a pretty strong regimen with my game. I changed my whole mentality. I just went after it in the offseason."
Mast and Smith came to the seniors after winning $1 million in long regular-tour stints broken up by assorted mini-tour appearances. In their best year, they didn't win as much as today's first prize ($225,000), but both have worked their way into the top 60 on the money list this season. A victory would guarantee full-time status next season.
"Usually I'm not playing well enough to have to worry about Hale," Smith said. "I'm worried about myself."
