Irwin closing in on PGA history
By Bill Kwon
Special to the Advertiser
KAHUKU — One round to go to set a record for the ages for Hale Irwin, who holds a two-stroke lead in a bid to win the same golf tournament for an unprecedented fifth straight year.
Ronen Zilberman • Associated Press
You've got to like his chances based on his track record in Hawai'i.
Hale Irwin shot a 6-under 66 for a 36-hole score of 133 in the Turtle Bay Championship.
Showing he means business, Irwin posted the best round of the day — a 6-under 66 — for a 36-hole score of 133 in the Turtle Bay Championship. And it's on a golf course where he has never been beaten.
Irwin won the Turtle Bay Championship in 2001, 2002 and 2003 and also on Maui in 2000 when the tournament was the Ka'anapali Classic.
With a change of date, the Turtle Bay Championship resumed this year as the Champions Tour's first full event of the season after sitting out 2004.
But it's still the same Irwin, who not only loves playing in the 50th State, he likes being a front-runner. He has won 21 of the 28 times he had led or had been tied for the lead on the Champions Tour.
"I like the lead. I'm not uncomfortable in the lead," said Irwin, who's at 11 under, two strokes ahead of Allen Doyle, who sank a 25-foot putt for par at the 18th hole after his second shot couldn't carry the water hazard.
Irwin and Doyle will be joined in the final threesome today by Dana Quigley, who won the MasterCard Championship last week at the Hualalai Resort on the Big Island.
Quigley is tied for third at 136 with Gil Morgan and Keith Fergus. But since Quigley finished his round ahead of the other two, he gets to play in the final group and keep an eye on Irwin and Doyle.
Irwin and Morgan were tied for the lead with the 539-yard par-5 18th to go. It's a real risk or reward hole.
Irwin barely got on the front fringe in two and two-putted from 55 feet for a birdie.
Morgan's tee shot found the left water hazard and he had to take a penalty shot. He airmailed his fourth shot over the green into the back bunker and took a costly double-bogey 7 when he couldn't get up and down.
"It's a deceptively long second shot. I went one extra club just to be sure I had enough club. I thought it was going to be well into the green," Irwin said about his second that required a 217-yard carry over the water fronting the green.
Ronen Zilberman • Associated Press
"I hit it 218 or 219," added Irwin, relieved that he took that extra club.
Allen Doyle scrambled for par on the final hole to finish two strokes behind Hale Irwin entering today's final round.
"I didn't play well from tee to green, but the putter was working well," said Irwin, who required only 23 putts for the day. It also helped that he holed out a bunker shot at the par-3 13th.
Five of his nine one-putts led to birdies, but one was for a huge par save at the par-4 17th when he dropped a 7-footer to stay at 10 under.
Playing with Morgan and Fergus, Irwin jokingly kept telling them, "Hey, wait for me," as they kept outdriving him from the tee.
The key to his round was keeping himself under control and waiting for his chances, according to Irwin, who said he had "some moments of splendor and ... some forget-me-nots, too."
Irwin dismissed any talk about becoming the first player in PGA history to win the same event five straight times. The record is four, which he shares with Tiger Woods (Bay Hill), Gene Sarazen (Miami Open), Walter Hagen (PGA Championship) and Tom Morse Jr. (British Open).
"It's one in a row. That's really the way I think of it," Irwin said.
It wasn't only Hale Irwin yesterday. Nostalgia buffs had their moments, too.
Gary Player excited the gallery by going six under after 27 holes, a remarkable effort for a 69-year-old.
And Arnold Palmer, 75, nearly shot his age with a 77. He tired perceptibly after making the turn just two-over par. He still has his short game, parring all four of the par-3 holes yesterday.
