Irwin refocuses for Champions Tour's Outback Pro-Am

By Rodney Page, Times Staff Writer
In print: Friday, April 18, 2008

Story Tools E-mail this story Contact the editor Print this story Comment on this story Social Bookmarking [+] Digg Facebook Stumbleupon Reddit Del.icio.us Newsvine

ADVERTISEMENT Hale Irwin

Struggling Irwin refocuses on game

LUTZ — Hale Irwin is the benchmark for anyone who joins the Champions Tour. He is its all-time wins leader with 45, including a record nine in 1997. He has won seven senior majors. Since joining the 50-and-over tour in 1995, Irwin has won at least one tournament every year except 2006.

But as Irwin, 62, gets older and younger players arrive, he is finding it harder to stay on top. In seven tournaments this season, his best finish is a tie for 18th.

He has had to deal with the illnesses of his mother and father-in-law between tournaments, but Irwin said those problems are cleared up. He's ready to salvage his 2008 season beginning with the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am, which he won in 2005 and has finished in the top 10 eight of 10 years.

"It hasn't all been golf this year," Irwin said. "I've had some other issues that I've had to take care of with my family, but I'm starting to get back into a golf frame of mind.

"I've always been the type that plays against myself. I set certain standards and I do everything I can to meet those standards. There are some good players coming out here now, but at 62 I don't consider myself old. If I play to my standards, then I can still compete out here."

Warm and fuzzy

Between barbs with fellow pros Allen Doyle and Jeff Sluman, and autographs and swapping stories with local sheriffs, Fuzzy Zoeller hit balls on the range Thursday. Zoeller, 56, hasn't won a Champions Tour tournament since 2004. He has finished in the top 10 only seven times in 48 events the past two-plus seasons. His best finish this season was a tie for 26th at the opening event on Feb. 11.

But he remains one of the more popular players.

"I'm not hitting it worth a (darn)," Zoeller said. "You never really know what's going to happen. Never buy green bananas and never assume you're going to be around on the weekend. But we're all out here to win. We're out here fine-tuning. We're trying to figure out where we left it or how we lost it. It's the nature of the dang beast."

Trial run

LPGA Hall of Famer Nancy Lopez played in the pro-am Thursday. She teams with Tom Kite today and Saturday. For Lopez, this is a warmup for next week's LPGA Tour's Stanford International Pro-Am at Aventura near Fort Lauderdale.

Lopez has resumed playing after spending four months helping husband and Washington Nationals coach Ray Knight recover from heart surgery in November.

"I started working on my game again a few weeks ago,'' said Lopez, 51. "I feel pretty good. I'm hitting the ball well."

Tap-ins

TPC of Tampa Bay was the fourth-hardest course on the Champions Tour last season and the toughest non-

major course on the circuit, playing to a 74.071 scoring average. The toughest holes were Nos. 4, 8, 15 and 18, so if you attend, check them out. … The team of pro R.W. Eaks and partners Steve Reddick, Bruce Gammon, Jeff Thompson and Tom Quinn won the two-day pro-am with 19-under 52.

Rodney Page,

Times staff writer