Gil Morgan used an eagle, six birdies and an adventurous par on the last hole to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of The Tradition on Friday.
Morgan finished with an eight-under 64 for a two-round total of 11-under 133 in the final major of the year on the 50-and-over Champions Tour.
Tom Jenkins was two shots back at nine-under 135 after a 69. Mark McNulty had a 65 and was tied at 8 under with Loren Roberts (69).
Morgan had plenty of memorable shots in his round, but it was his effort on the final hole that provided the most excitement. His drive sailed right into bark chips at the par-5 18th, at the Reserve and Vineyards & Golf Club. He then hit into the trees trying to get out to the fairway, and clipped a tree with a shot that fell into a greenside bunker. He blasted out of the sand, landing about three feet from the hole and made the par putt.
”I looked like Robin Hood going through the 18,” he said, calling the hole ”an adventure in itself”.
Morgan is a two-time champion in the event, winning in 1997 and ’98 when it was played at Desert Mountain in Arizona. He has 23 victories on the Champions Tour, as well as seven titles on the US PGA Tour.
His best finish so far this year was second at the Bayer Advantage Classic. Morgan has won at least one event per season since joining the senior tour in 1996.
”For some reason, my game hasn’t been very solid all year,” he said.
In June, Jenkins rolled in a 5-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to beat D.A. Weibring and win the Allianz Championship, his only victory this season.
At the 13th hole on Friday, Jenkins sank a 119-yard wedge shot for an eagle.
”That landed in the bottom of the cup and stayed there,” he said.
”That was a big bonus on that one. I was waiting, when I heard the sound, to see where the ball was going to fly out to.”
McNulty eagled the 16th, making a 52-foot, seven-inch putt and joked, ”Those are the type of tap-ins you like to have.”
McNulty won the Bank of America Championship in June, besting Tom Purtzer on the second playoff hole. It was his fourth Champions Tour victory, following three wins last year as a rookie.
McNulty played at par following his eagle, and was especially cautious on the par-4 17th.
”Two-putted the green and got out of there, thank you very much,” he said. ”That’s a bit of a swine of a hole.”
In the final round of the event at the Reserve last year, Craig Stadler closed with four straight birdies for a one-shot victory and his second win in a major on the Champions Tour. Stadler wrapped up the second round this year at 4 under after a
second-round 68. – Sapa-AP