Roberts’ Roll Continues

Fresh off a win at the MasterCard Championship, Loren Roberts shot a six-under-par 66 on Friday in the first round of the Turtle Bay Championship at Kahuku, Hawaii, to take a one-shot lead over Bruce Summerhays.

Five-time defending champion Hale Irwin had trouble finding his groove and carded a 73 in the Champions Tour’s first full-field event of the year.

Irwin is seeking his sixth straight Turtle Bay title, but it was Roberts who continued his strong play in Hawaii.

He sank putt after putt, making the turn in 33 and recording seven birdies, including four in the last seven holes. The 66 was the lowest first-round score on the Palmer Course.

Last week, Roberts had a 25-under 191 in ideal conditions at the Hualalai course to break the Champions Tour record for relation to par in a 54-hole event.

Don Pooley, who lost to Roberts by a stroke at Hualalai, was two strokes off the lead at 68.

“It was really windy and blustery,” said the 61-year-old Summerhays. “As a matter of fact, on the last hole I almost got bamboozled out there.”

Japan’s Kiyosi Murota, making his Champions Tour debut on a sponsor’s exemption, was at 69 with former Hawaii resident Scott Simpson, Jim Thorpe and Mark Johnson.