Inspired Baker-Finch Grabs the Lead : Golf: Aussie outduels Azinger as both pull away from the pack in T of C.

Ian Baker-Finch and Paul Azinger didn’t have to look at the leader board to know who was in front during the second round of the $750,000 MONY Tournament of Champions at La Costa.

Playing together in a twosome, they merely had to look at each other Friday, and drew inspiration in the process.

Baker-Finch, a 29-year-old Australian, won the “match-play” round from Azinger. He shot a five-under-par 67 for a 36-hole score of 133, 11 under par, to hold the lead that he had shared with Azinger and Greg Norman Thursday.

Azinger, who celebrates his 30th birthday today, stayed close, shooting a 68 for a 134. Norman faded with a 72.

“It looked like we were inspiring each other, especially in the middle of the round,” Azinger said. “It was like we were challenging each other, but it wasn’t that way.”

Baker-Finch said: “Yes, we inspired each other, especially in the first few holes.”

The Australian birdied the first two holes, prompting Azinger to birdie the third. And so it went.

Baker-Finch finished with six birdies and only one bogey, at the par-four, 423-yard 16th hole. Azinger, the third-leading money-winner on the tour last year, had four birdies in a bogey-free round.

As a result, they pulled slightly away from the elite field. David Frost, Scott Hoch and Wayne Grady were four shots behind Baker-Finch at 137. Mark Calcavecchia and Norman were at 138.

So, Baker-Finch is threatening to extend a streak of first-time qualifiers winning the Tournament of Champions.

Mac O’Grady did it in 1987, followed by Steve Pate in 1988 and Steve Jones in 1989.

Moreover, Baker-Finch, who resembles a young James Garner, was the only wire-to-wire winner on the tour last year when he won the Colonial tournament at Ft. Worth last May.

Some players don’t like the pressure of leading throughout a tournament, preferring to make their run on the final day.

However, Baker-Finch said he likes being in the lead.

“If you’re trying to keep positive thoughts all the time, I always thought it was better to be a shot in front than a shot behind,” he said.

“I think, of the tournaments I’ve won, half of them I’ve led going into the last round. I feel more comfortable in front, and when I’m in contention or in the lead I tend to concentrate a lot better.

“I enjoy being in the hunt. I relax a lot more. Even though I’m concentrating hard, I feel a lot better in the lead, and the happier I am on the golf course, the better my scoring is. If I’m grinding too hard or trying to catch up, I fall back.”

Azinger had a different perspective on the pressure of being a front-runner.

“I led wire-to wire at Bay Hill (in 1988), and it is definitely harder because the pressure is on you all week,” Azinger said. “At Bay Hill, I think I started out with a two-shot lead after the first day, a four-shot lead after the second, a one-shot lead after the third, and then Tom Kite and I dueled it out until the 14th hole, when I chipped in for a birdie and he made a bogey. And I ended up winning by five.”

The lean, 6-foot-2 Azinger said he definitely loses weight when he’s leading wire-to wire.

“But I certainly wouldn’t miss a a putt so I wouldn’t have the lead,” he said. “You want to get as many eggs in your basket as you can.”

Azinger said that Baker-Finch, who is 6-foot-4, putted unbelievably Friday.

“I was surprised when he missed,” Azinger said.

Baker-Finch said: “I did roll the ball a lot better than I did yesterday. I didn’t have any long putts today, so I didn’t have any trouble.”

There was some wind on another clear day, and that was to Baker-Finch’s liking. He practiced in the wind in Australia before flying here for the tournament.

“I was confident coming here because a lot of people said to me that it’s windy at La Costa,” he said, “and where I was playing at home, Sanctuary Cove, it was very windy over the Christmas period. I was playing so well in the wind at home in the practice sessions, I felt if it was windy here, I’d be able to handle it well.”

Not only is he handling the wind, he’s also beating some of the world’s best golfers.

As for his hyphenated name, Baker-Finch said that it is derived from his grandparents, who came to Australia from England.

“Here in the States, some people don’t know whether my first name is Ian Baker or my second name is Baker-Finch. In Texas, everyone says, ‘Hi Ian Baker.’ ”

Golf Notes

Bob Tway got a hole-in-one on the par-three, 169-yard 11th hole. His eight-iron shot landed three feet to the side of the pin and spun into the cup. . . . Bill Glasson, David Frost and Mike Sullivan recorded eagles. Glasson’s eagle came on the par-four, 423-yard 16th hole; Frost got his on the par-five, 526-yard second hole, and Sullivan followed at the par-five, 541-yard 12th hole. . . . Greg Twiggs had a nightmarish finish with two sixes and a quadruple-bogey eight on the last three holes. He shot a 41-44--85, but he isn’t leaving the premises since there isn’t any cut in the small field. . . . Defending champion Steve Jones shot a 72 and was at par 144 for the 36 holes, along with Tway and Curtis Strange. . . . Tom Kite was at 145.