Mason leads after record round

James Mason shot a course-record 8-under-par 64 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead over Hale Irwin after the first round of the Senior PGA Tour's 3M Championship.

Mason, the Goergia club pro who played in a group with course designer Arnold Palmer and Miller Barber, birdied seven of the last 12 holes to break the mark of 66 set last year by three players in the first senior event on the TPC of the Twin Cities.

"I keep pinching myself when I see all the stars I've seen play on TV and now I'm right there with them," Mason said.

The round also was the lowest of Mason's 12-event senior career, topping the 65 he shot in May in the opening round of his breakthrough victory in the NFL Golf Classic. He has only one other top-30 finish, a tie for 26th in the Greater Baltimore Classic.

"After being through it before, I won't be as nervous as I was in the second round of the NFL event," said Mason, who played his way into the New Jersey tournament through a qualifying event.

"I started with a 65 then shot 73 on the second day, then recovered to win by two strokes on the last day."

Mason made five birdie putts of 12 feet or longer, capped by a 20-footer on the 17th hole.

"The biggest thing for me is that I've really been working on my putting, and it paid off today," he said.

Irwin, coming off a playoff loss to Hubert Green last week in the Long Island Classic, had a bogey-free 66.

"Last week was last week," Irwin said. "I don't have any ideas of trying to make up for last week. There was some disappointment, but that's gone now. All I can do is try to take the positive things I did."

The 1997 and 1999 tournament winner at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids, Irwin had his 11th consecutive under-par round -- the longest streak on the tour this year -- and broke 70 for the 15th time in 18 career rounds in the event.

"With six birdies and no bogeys, I'm very pleased," Irwin said. "I made some nice putts. I had a birdie and three par saves on the first four holes. I easily could have two or three over par there if I don't make those putts."

Green was another stroke back at 67, and senior rookie Fuzzy Zoeller, Allen Doyle, Sammy Rachels, Rocky Thompson and Leonard Thompson followed at 68.

Bruce Lietzke, the winner last year in his third senior start, opened with a 69. After making four straight birdies to reach 3 under, he had a triple-bogey 8 on the 571-yard sixth hole.

The 72-year-old Palmer, who teamed with former University of Minnesota player Tom Lehman to design the course, shot a 78, the second-worst score among the 77 finishers. Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench had the worst round with an 81.

Gil Morgan withdrew after one hole because of a back problem.

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