As Usual, Irwin Leads in Hawaii

KAHUKU, Hawaii — Four-time defending champion Hale Irwin shot a six-under-par 66 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Allen Doyle after two rounds of the Turtle Bay Championship.

Irwin, 59, is trying for his fifth consecutive and sixth overall victory at Turtle Bay, the Champions Tour’s first full-field event of the year.

Irwin had no bogeys, putted only 23 times and had six birdies in a steady round, moving to 11-under 133. He holed out a bunker shot on the par-three 13th hole.

Doyle had one bogey in his round, getting two birdies on the front nine and three on the back for a 68 and a nine-under 135 total.

Dana Quigley, coming off a win at the MasterCard Championship last week, shot a 68 and was tied for third with Keith Fergus (69) and Gil Morgan (69), three strokes back

Morgan took sole possession of the lead with an eagle on the 433-yard fourth, moving to eight under. He bogeyed the 11th to fall into a three-way tie with Irwin and Doyle, but rebounded with a birdie at the 12th.

Morgan shared the lead with Irwin until driving into the water at No. 18 and making a double-bogey seven.

It was overcast, humid and a virtually windless day, perfect for scoring.

Among those who took advantage of the conditions was 69-year-old Gary Player, who briefly shared the lead at six under. After three birdies on the front nine, Player had two bogeys on the back and finished with a 71 for a 140 total.

Fan favorite and newlywed Arnold Palmer climbed out of last place with a 77, for a two-round total of 15-over 159. Palmer, 75, married Kathleen Gawthrop on Wednesday.