Zoeller makes big move at MasterCard

By Ann Miller
Advertiser Staff Writer

KA'UPULEHU, Hawai'i — On the second day of the MasterCard Championship the wind did not move but the field did.

"I'll be honest with you, it was one of those days when I didn't start out hitting the ball well," Fuzzy Zoeller, top, said after shooting a 63 and grabbing a share of the second-round lead with Dana Quigley, center, who shot a 65 and Larry Nelson, above, who fired a 64. WEST HAWAII TODAY via Associated Press

They are not exactly running away going into today's final round. On a rare day when the whales appeared more than the wind, the average score was 68.139 and only five of the 36 golfers shot over par. Just six are over par for the tournament.

"There was no wind, it completely died down," said Nelson, who won here two years ago. "I don't think I've played here with this little wind."

As a consequence, even birdie often appeared pedestrian. Bruce Lietzke bagged three eagles, which hasn't been done on the Champions Tour since 1992 and has only been accomplished four times ever.

"I had three good holes today and played pretty mediocre other than that," said Lietzke, who won the 1977 Hawaiian Open and remembered getting three eagles in a round one other year at Waialae Country Club.

He is tied for fourth with Bruce Fleisher (65), two shots behind the lead trio. Hilo's Steve Veriato (68) bogeyed the final hole and is another shot back with Australian Stewart Ginn (66).

It was a day when ideal weather and course conditions collided with a bunch of golfers who chose to be the 50-plus tour over retirement. The result was a free-for-all.

"I was four under through eight and I think I had the lead at that point at 10 under," Quigley said. "About five holes later Fuzzy was all the way to 13 under. I don't know what the hell happened. It was like open season out there."

Zoeller's lowest round since he joined the Champions Tour last year involved eight birdies, an eagle and bogey. He shot the final four birdies all in a row from Nos. 14-17, then said it was the only time all day he actually hit his irons square "on the clubface."

"I'll be honest with you, it was one of those days when I didn't start out hitting the ball well," said Zoeller, whose only victory last year came at the Senior PGA Championship. "I drove the ball well, but my iron shots were a little skimpy. The good news was that when I did miss I was missing in spots where I could play."

When he did start finding the clubface, "Every one of my iron shots coming in was pin high," Zoeller said. "That means I had a great feel from the fairway and I was starting to catch the ball solid. I was just running out of holes."

Nelson's 64 was about as perfect as golf gets. He had six birdies and an eagle, no bogeys, didn't miss a fairway and missed hitting only one green in regulation. All but one of his birdies came on putts within eight feet and he chipped off the lava rocks to 20 feet for the other. The eagle came on a 30-foot putt.

It was the antithesis of his 2002 season when he went winless after capturing 11 titles the previous two years.

"It was just a weird year, I can't explain it," Nelson said. "Even halfway, three-quarters of the way through the year I thought I'd start scoring well or playing well again and it never happened. Now I come out here with no expectations and actually played pretty well."

Quigley caught up as the sun started going down, birdieing the final three holes when he hit short irons within 10 feet. Quigley, in his 202nd consecutive start, said the low scores could be traced directly to the golf course.

"It's so much fun to play a course like this," he said. "Even if, when you make bogey, you feel like 20 guys pass you by. But it's great for us. I really like to play courses like this where guys are making birdies, spectators are having fun and even the guys are smiling."

Defending champion Tom Kite had one of six eagles on the 10th and climbed into a share of eighth, five shots back.

Gary Player shot his age (67) and is in the next bunch six shots back. His bogey-free round left him tied with 1999 MasterCard champion John Jacobs. Hale Irwin is also six back.