The 61-year-old Irwin moved into contention for his first victory since October 2005 on Saturday, shooting a 10-under 62 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Champions Tour's season-opening MasterCard Championship.

Irwin, coming off his first winless season in 12 years, had 10 birdies in his bogey-free round for a 16-under 128 total. He just missed shooting his age when a 12-foot birdie putt on No. 18 came up just short and to the right.

"I can still do this," he said. "It's not like I've lost it and it's gone. It's back. Just what will I do with it now?"

Irwin also just missed his lowest score on his Champions Tour career, settling for his fifth 62. He had a 61 on the PGA Tour in the 1982 Southern Open.

Tom Kite and Brad Bryant were tied for second. Kite shot a 64, and Bryant, the first-round leader, had a 68. Jim Thorpe had a 63 to join defending champion Loren Roberts (67) at 12 under, and Allen Doyle (67), Jerry Pate (67) and Ben Crenshaw (68) followed at 11 under.

Irwin, who has a record 44 wins on the Champions Tour, is seeking his first win since the 2005 SAS Championship. He missed winning in 2006 for the first time since joining the Champions Tour in 1995.

"I just probably lost a step here and half a step there and that's all it takes," he said. "All in all, it wasn't a terrible year, but I just didn't play the kind of golf I'm capable of playing, which I've shown the last two days."

Irwin has been working out more and trying to fix the kinks in his game.

He birdied four straight holes twice, once each on the front and back nines. His tap-in birdie on the par-4 15th, gave him his first lead at 15 under.

Irwin has owned Hawai'i like no other golfer, winning eight times on the senior tour including the 1997 MasterCard, and the 1981 Hawaiian Open on the PGA Tour. He has $3.9 million in winnings, including unofficial money, in the state.

After missing the putt on 18, Irwin hunched over, flipping his cap backward.

Irwin said he'll need to stay aggressive and probably needs a 65 or 66 to force this rivals to shoot an amazing round Sunday to win.

"If you just try to sit on a lead, you'll probably end up doing what I did on the last hole," he said. "You get too careful. You'll get too anxious and not succeed."

Kite had seven birdies and made a 39-foot eagle putt on the par-5 10th. His only mistake was a bogey on the par-3 17th when his 8-iron fell short of the green and he missed a 4›-footer for par.

Kite said he realizes Irwin is hungry for a win.

"He's not the only one hungry, though," he said. "It's going to take some good golf tomorrow to catch Hale."

Irwin is almost unbeatable when he leads or share the lead heading into Sunday, winning 29 of 40 times.

With a cigar in mouth and a brand new Callaway putter in hand, Thorpe had a personal-best 22 putts in a round that included seven birdies and an eagle on the 566-yard 10th, the longest hole at Hualalai.

His four birdie putts on the final six holes were all within 4 feet.

"I found a way to keep your putting strokes low — miss more greens," he said. "It builds your confidence when you make those 4- or 5-footers. ... So if things don't good tomorrow, I might just miss a green on purpose and chip it and go up-and-down to get some confidence."

Only Gil Morgan (73) and Bob Gilder (77) were over par Saturday.

"How would you like to shoot a 13-under par and be three behind?" Irwin said.

A day after celebrating his 50th wedding anniversary, 71-year-old Gary Player was 6 under after his second 69, again beating his age by two strokes.

Player moved into contention at 9 under with a birdie on the par-4 16th, but triple-bogeyed No. 18 after hooking his drive into the lava fields and dropping his approach in the sand.

"Anytime you end up with a 7, it's a lousy bit of medicine," he said. "I got a little greedy. I tried to hit it hard and hooked it around the corner and I just hit a terrible shot."

The Hall of Famer is one of four invited players at Hualalai, along with Crenshaw, Raymond Floyd and Lanny Wadkins.

Last year, Roberts had a 25-under 191 total to break the tour record for relation to par in a 54-hole event and tie the stroke mark. He also broke the record for birdies in a three-round tournament with 26.

The shot of the day went to Eduardo Romero, who holed his second shot from 85 yards on the 440-yard 18th. The ball dropped straight into the cup on the fly.