Crenshaw Rolls into Contention : Golf: He savors his second-round 65 in Buick Invitational.

Ben Crenshaw called it a “blast from the past.”

And though Crenshaw is in the business of blasting, so to speak, he wasn’t referring to a golf shot.

This was a photograph.

It was a shot of him taking a golf shot on a 1974 cover of Sports Illustrated.

A spectator asked Crenshaw to autograph it Friday afternoon, which Crenshaw did, but not before signing a score card placing him in a tie for 15th after the second round of the Buick Invitational at Torrey Pines.

“That shows you I’ve been out here a while,” said Crenshaw, who turned 40 last month but does not look much different than he did in 1974, his second year on the PGA Tour.

After shooting a 71 on the longer South Course on Thursday, Crenshaw matched four others with the second best round Friday--a seven-under 65 on the North Course.

Gentle Ben is on the move.

And always in demand. After signing more autographs, he continued: “I’ve reached a point in my life where I’m very, very happy. I have a lovely wife, a beautiful, healthy daughter, who is 4 1/2, and another child on the way. I still enjoy golf. I still enjoy the competition. I really do. I plan on playing 22, 23 tournaments this year and hopefully I can be competitive in a few of them.”

If Friday was an indication, this is one of them.

He is five strokes behind three leaders, one of them Tom Watson.

You think NBC, which will broadcast the final two rounds today and Sunday opposite the Winter Olympics, hasn’t considered the effect of a showdown between Crenshaw and Watson, who have combined to earn more than $10 million on the tour?

Crenshaw has.

“Oh sure, that would be great for the fans and golf,” Crenshaw said. “I just hope I can put it together on the South Course. Obviously, the round that Watson played (Thursday on the South Course) was something else. I don’t know if I can duplicate (a course record nine-under 63).

“You’ve got to hit the ball solidly over there. It’s a much tougher course. I played pretty decently yesterday. Score-wise, it was pretty far down the ladder, but I was fairly happy with it, all things considered.”

Crenshaw came close to winning here last year but wound up fourth.

“It was one of my better tournaments last year,” he said. “I played pretty decently the last day. I had my chances, but I think it was a case where I was just a little too far behind coming around the final bend.”

Crenshaw said he doesn’t mind having to play catch-up again.

“I’ve won tournaments leading, and I’ve won tournaments coming from behind,” he said. “When you’re leading, there’s always a danger of trying to protect what you have. But you can’t do that these days. You must go forward these days. Everything is vastly improved.”

So much so, he added, “You cherish your opportunities out there.”