Floyd’s Double Is in Soggy Trouble : Golf: He trails Azinger and Love by nine shots after rounds of 71 and 72 at La Costa. Deficit is four in senior Tournament of Champions.

In a 36-hole marathon of golf Friday in the Infiniti Tournament of Champions at the La Costa Resort, Raymond Floyd fell back into two packs.

Floyd is trying to win an unprecedented two tournaments at the same time--regular and senior divisions. It isn’t likely now.

Although he is only four shots behind the senior leader, Jim Dent, the 50-year-old Floyd is nine strokes behind leaders Davis Love III and Paul Azinger in the PGA Tour event.

“I don’t think much of my chances of winning the regular tournament,” Floyd said. “But I’m still in the seniors.”

The tournament was scheduled to begin Thursday, but the first day was washed out by the storm that has hit this area.

So the players were required to play 36 holes Friday in intermittent rain, with some sunshine in the afternoon.

Floyd said that the weather conditions hurt his chances to win both tournaments.

“You never play 36 holes unless conditions are bad,” he said. “I walked 36 holes and it was like walking in sand.”

While Floyd walked, like the other regular-tour players, the seniors rode in carts.

Asked if he was feeling his age, Floyd responded wearily, “I don’t know how 50 is supposed to feel, but I know I’m tired.”

It didn’t seem likely that any golf would be played Friday because the storm was still going strong here late Thursday night.

Love said he got up at 6:30 a.m. and when he was told that the first tee time was delayed half an hour, from 7 to 7:30 a.m., he went back to bed.

But he awoke in time to learn that the game was definitely on.

“I was surprised,” he said. “I can’t believe we played 36 holes.”

Love had two 67s for 134, Azinger had rounds of 65 and 69.

Greg Norman was four strokes behind the leaders, and Dan Forsman and Steve Pate were five back.

Floyd had rounds of 71-72--143.

After his round, Love, 28, said it’s hard enough to play 36 holes in good weather.

“I’m glad it’s over,” he said. “My feet are wet and tired.”

Love said the greens were fine despite the recent storm, but that the fairways were soggy.

“If we weren’t allowed to lift, clean and place (the muddy golf balls), there would have been no golf at all,” he said.

Azinger, 33, said that he was hitting the ball so badly on the range before he played that his expectations were low.

“I thought I was going to shoot a 78,” Azinger said. “Then it started to come around and I ended up having real good rhythm.”

Given the recent weather, there is a possibility that the tournament could be declared over after 36 holes.

“That’s why I wanted to birdie the last hole, just in case,” Azinger said.

As it was, he settled for par and a tie for the lead.

Even though it was a long day, the players had to stay motivated.

“I kept telling myself all day that this could be the last round of the tournament, so don’t get tired,” Love said. “If you hit a bad shot, just shrug it off.”

Azinger won the Tournament of Champions in 1991. And he has won at least one tournament in six consecutive years, the longest streak on the tour.

Love got off to fast start on the tour last year. He began his run by losing to Fred Couples in a playoff at the Los Angeles Open on March 1. Then, in a four-week period, he won three tournaments--the Players Championship, and the Heritage and Greensboro events.

His game lagged later in the season, before he teamed with Couples to win the World Cup matches in Spain.

He finished the year with $1,191,639 in official earnings, second to Couples. Couples, the 1992 PGA Tour player of the year, was paired with Floyd on Friday. He shot a 70-70--140.

In today’s round, Floyd will move to the senior side as he is paired with Dave Stockton.

Golf Notes

It didn’t seem possible that the tournament would begin Friday because of a steady, hard rain that drenched the course Thursday. However, crews worked through the night, pumping water from the swollen creek that winds through part of the course and the lake that fronts the seventh green. Some of the bridges were also under water.

Tournament director Mike Crosthwaite said, “We were thrown every curve nature could throw at us and our staff performance was outstanding in getting the course ready to play.”