Hale Irwin continued his assault on the record books Saturday, shooting a 66 and taking an eight-stroke lead after two rounds in the Ameritech Senior Open at Long Grove, Ill.
His 16-under 128 tied the record for 36 holes in relation to par set by Irwin in last year's Vantage Championship. He also tied the Senior PGA Tour record for largest lead, initially set by Arnold Palmer in the 1984 Seniors Championship and tied three other times.Irwin, the senior tour's money leader, set a course record with a 10-under 62 Friday.
"He's beating the tar out of all of us," said Bruce Summerhays, who is at 8-under 136 after shooting a 68. "It appears we're all playing for second."
Joining Summerhays at 136 was Larry Nelson, who shot a 67 Saturday. Tied at 137 were Ray Floyd , Leonard Thompson and Hugh Baiocchi .
Defending champion Gil Morgan had a rough day, shooting a 73 that left him 14 strokes back.
As in his record-setting first round, Irwin's strong short game carried him Saturday. On the par-4 fourth, after putting his second shot into a sand trap on the right of the green, he blasted out to within six feet of the pin. He sank it for a birdie, and then made another short birdie putt on No. 5.
He finished the front nine with two spectacular birdie putts. He sank a 15-foot, slightly uphill putt on the eighth. On No. 9, his 18-footer from the fringe hit the back of the cup and dropped in as the crowd roared.
After parring the 10th, Irwin took a little break. He headed into the gallery and sat in an empty lawnchair, chatting with spectators as he watched playing partners Baiocchi and Joe Inman finish out the hole.
Irwin might have gotten a little too relaxed. He bogeyed the par-3 13th - his first of the tournament - after his 10-foot putt hit the right edge of the cup and skipped out.
Looking disgusted, Irwin tapped in for bogey, which left him at 14-under. He got the stroke back with a birdie on the next hole.
He birdied No. 18 for the second straight day, putting his second shot five feet from the pin.
LPGA BIG APPLE: At New Rochelle, N.Y., Annika Sorenstam shot a 6-under-par 65 Saturday to set the 54-hole record at the JAL Big Apple Classic and extend her lead to six strokes.
Sorenstam, who held a one-stroke lead after the second round, again closed with a flourish, making four birdies over the final six holes. On Friday, she had birdies on three of the last four holes to take the lead.
Sorenstam's 15-under 198 breaks the mark set by Juli Inkster when she won the tournament in 1992.
Michelle Estill was second at 204 after a 6-under 65, a round that featured nine birdies, including a stretch of five in a row starting at No. 6.
First-round leader Penny Hammel, Jenny Lidback and Chris Johnson were all at 205.
DEPOSIT GUARANTY: At Madison, Miss., Mike Brisky shot a 66 Saturday, including a birdie at the 17th hole where two other leaders faltered, to earn a share of the lead after three rounds of the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic.
Fred Funk followed his second-round 64, the best of the tournament, with a 69 on Saturday to match Brisky at 14-under 202.
Doug Tewell, who shot 72, was tied with Franklin Langham and Paul Goydos two strokes behind the leaders. Five others were at 11-under 205.