Irwin Rises in Players Championship Golf

Hale Irwin is in sort of a transitional period of his golf career. At 44, he’s a little old for the regular tour, but still too young for the senior tour.

Irwin also has other interests, one being designing golf courses.

But he said he still responds to the challenge of a demanding course. He did Friday in the second round of the Players Championship at the Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass.

Irwin shot a four-under-par 68 for a 36-hole total of 138 and a one-stroke lead over Jodie Mudd and Rocco Mediate.

Mudd had shared the first round lead with Mark Calcavecchia, but he didn’t have as hot a putter as he had Thursday when he one-putted 11 greens. Mudd shot par 72.

Calcavecchia fared worse with a 75 for 142.

Irwin played in the morning when the wind wasn’t as strong. But still it seemed that his lead was tenuous because Clark Burroughs, playing in the afternoon, was seven under for the tournament through 13 holes.

But Burroughs, who lives in Ponte Vedra, bogeyed the par-four 14th hole, then double-bogeyed the par-five 16th. He’s at 140, tied with Ken Green.

Tom Watson also made a late run at Irwin. After getting a birdie at the par-three 17th, the island green, he was only one shot behind Irwin.

Then he hit his drive on the par-four 18th into the rough to the right of the cart path. His three-iron second shot nicked a tree, went laterally across the green and into the water bordering the fairway on the left. Watson scraped out a double bogey for a 72 and 141.

Irwin hasn’t won on the tour since 1985, but he has 17 victories, among them U.S. Open championships in 1974 and 1979.

“I still drive the ball well, but my irons are a little loose,” Irwin said. “I miss two to three more greens than I used to.”

The stadium course here is a demanding layout with hazardous water holes that are amply trapped and greens that disgruntled players have described as bumpy.

Irwin said, though, that he would rather compete on a tough course.

“Any course that would yield birdies grudgingly are the courses I like to play because it presents more of a challenge,” he said. “Maybe I respond to that challenge somewhat better than the others. When we play the easier courses, where birdies are the norm, I don’t produce as many birdies for whatever reason. I like to see par be a good score.

“I also like to play the tough courses because they eliminate a lot of the marginal players. I think you have to have (an assortment of shots) to play the difficult courses.”

Irwin isn’t sure how to assess his career, now that he is in his mid-40s.

“I have not made that transition from a young player, such as Rocco Mediate, to the veteran player to the fossil, although I’m learning, “ he said wryly.

“However, I’ve always thought I could still play, but I haven’t put in the quality time away from the tour as I once did. And, when I’m home I don’t have a chance to practice, nor do I have the burning desire to do a lot of practicing.”

Golf Notes

Despite his double bogey on the 18th hole, Tom Watson was satisfied with his round. “Seventy-two is a good score today,” he said. “As for the greens, they’re really rough and there isn’t much grass on them. There’s a lot of dirt and, if we have a heavy thunderstorm tomorrow, we’ll be playing on a lot of muddy surfaces. I put the condition of these greens in about the bottom 10% of the greens we play all year. It’s a resort course and they have to accommodate the people who want to play it.”

The cut was at 147, the low 70 scores and ties. Such prominent players as Paul Azinger, Fred Couples, Ben Crenshaw, Scott Simpson, Lanny Wadkins, Raymond Floyd and Jack Nicklaus didn’t make it. Greg Norman barely did, with a 71-76--147.