Stadler and peers playing like champions

By Bill Kwon
Special to the Advertiser

The Hawaiian monk seal loves hitting the island beaches. Apparently, so does "The Walrus."

Craig Stadler, 51, shot a 67 and is seven shots off the lead at 207. Gregory Yamamoto • The Honolulu Advertiser

Craig Stadler, who goes by that colorful nickname, along with a number of his older peers, haven't disappeared from the leaderboard going into today's final round of the Sony Open in Hawai'i.

Stadler, the Champions Tour leading money winner last year, and a bunch of other golden oldies are thriving this week at the Waialae Country Club.

Stadler, 51, shot a 67 yesterday to tie at 207 along with 53-year-old Dick Mast and 45-year-old Tommy Armour III.

It's not much of a generation gap from leader Shigeki Maruyama, who tops the scoreboard at 200, one stroke ahead of Brett Quigley.

Right behind them are two other 40-something golfers — Paul Azinger (202) and Larry Mize (203) — the latter tied for third with Robert Gamez.

Mize says seeing all the guys he has played with over the years doing so well has encouraged him this week.

"I know they are very good players. But to see them do it at that age, that does encourage anybody in that age bracket, which I'm in."

Azinger feels that experience playing the Waialae course is a factor because of the greens and the way to play shots.

"Mainly, I think, older players ... understand the greens a little better than somebody who is first-timing it," said Azinger, who won the Sony Open in 2000 and finished runner-up three other times at Waialae.

Stadler gave a classic textbook lesson on the greens yesterday with 12 one-putts, four of them resulting in up-and-down birdies at 2, 9, 10 and 18.

"I drove the ball OK. I hit a lot of decent irons that got caught up in the wind. As a result I didn't hit a lot of greens (in regulation)," Stadler said. "But the chipping is very good, the bunker game's good and the putting's very good."

Very good is an understatement. He had 24 putts yesterday and 25 the day before.

Stadler, too, isn't surprised by the showing of his peers, including Tom Kite and Peter Jacobsen, two other players on the Champions Tour.

"It's not like we haven't played here before," said Stadler, who added that walking up the 18th fairway brought back a lot of memories.

"Yeah, I've played here a lot of years. With the exception of one time, maybe the last 21 or 22 years. I haven't played real well here recently but it's going OK this week."

Stadler will be playing in the MasterCard Championship at Hualalai on the Big Island next week and then return for the Champions Tour Skins Game at Wailea, Maui, on Feb. 6.

"I'm looking forward to it," he said. "You got Watson, Nicklaus and Palmer. It doesn't get better than that. It'll be a kick."

He plans on playing in only four or five regular tour events, the next being the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic, the reason he's skipping the Turtle Bay Championship.

Others include the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, the Masters, MCI Heritage and maybe the Bell Canadian Open.

He'll devote the rest of time to the Champions Tour, which he thoroughly enjoys.

No wonder. In two years, he has already won eight times, compared to 13 victories on the regular tour, including the 1982 Masters. And last year's $2.3 million in earnings is a career high.

About Kite's intent to play at least 15 events with the younger guys, Stadler says he's all for it.

"Hey, he can go wherever he wants, it's fine with me. Keep him out here," Stadler said.

Stadler has enjoyed the week "out here," not only because of his shot-making but also because he had the opportunity to play in the same event with son Kevin.

"It's a shame he missed the cut," Craig said. "He got off to a horrible start but he played the last 10 holes 3-under and got close and missed by one.

"I'm looking forward for him having a good West Coast round. He's certainly got game for it."

So has his old man.