PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Hale Irwin shot a 5-under 67 at Pebble Beach on Friday in the Pure Insurance Championship, leaving the 73-year-old Hall of Famer a stroke behind leader David Frost in the PGA Tour Champions event.
Irwin played his final nine holes in 6-under 26. He birdied the par-4 first, eagled the par-5 second and added birdies on the par-3 fifth, par-5 sixth and par-3 seventh.
Irwin won the PGA Tour event at Pebble Beach in 1984 and took the senior tournament in 2005. The three-time U.S. Open champion won the last of record 45 Champions titles in 2007. He won 20 times on the PGA Tour and was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 1992.
Frost had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his second nine at Pebble Beach.
Marco Dawson, Ken Tanigawa and Olin Browne were a stroke back with Irwin, also opening at Pebble Beach. They will play par-71 Poppy Hills on Saturday, then return to Pebble Beach on Sunday for the final round.
