Irwin and Mason share lead

Hale Irwin shot a 2-under 70 in windy conditions Saturday for a share of the lead with James Mason after the second round of the Senior PGA Tour's 3M Championship.

Mason had a 72 a day after shooting a course-record 64 on the TPC of the Twin Cities. The leaders were 8 under, three strokes ahead of Bruce Fleisher (68), Bob Gilder (68), Rocky Thompson (71), Leonard Thompson (71), and Allen Doyle (71).

The wind, with gusts of more than 30 mph, did not prevent Irwin from recording a 12th consecutive round under par -- the longest streak on the tour this year.

"With today's conditions, the field played like they were trying not to lose," Irwin said. "It was the kind of day where you could take yourself out of it if you were too aggressive."

Irwin, the 1997 and 1999 tournament winner at Bunker Hills in Coon Rapids, made a 30-foot birdie chip on the second hole, and birdied Nos. 10 and 15 to offset a bogey on No. 8.

The three-time U.S. Open champion is coming off a playoff loss to Hubert Green last week in the Long Island Classic. Irwin has won twice this year to push his tour-record victory total to 34.

Mason, the Georgia club pro who won the NFL Golf Classic in May, birdied three of the first six holes to get to 11 under, but gave back three strokes on Nos. 7 and 8.

Clad in purple knickers "for all those Minnesota Vikings fans out there," Mason had a double bogey on the seventh after hitting his approach shot over the green.

"The course was playing a bit longer today because of the wind," Mason said. "It was tough out there. I'm happy with how I played. I'm very pleased where I am."

Don Pooley had the best round of the day, a 66 that left him four strokes back. Fleisher and Leonard Thompson had bogey-free rounds, with Fleisher managing the only birdie of the day on the 582-yard, par-5 18th hole.

Bruce Lietzke, the winner last year in his third senior start, followed his opening 69 with a 76 to fall nine strokes back.

Arnold Palmer, the 72-year-old star who teamed with former University of Minnesota player Tom Lehman to design the course, shot an 80 for a 14-over 158 total.

Baseball Hall of Famer Johnny Bench was last in the 77-player field, shooting his second straight 81.

Gilder won consecutive events in playoffs last month, beating Irwin in the SBC Senior Open in Chicago and John Mahaffey in the FleetBoston Classic.

"The wind was strong all day," Gilder said. "Every hole it seemed like it was blowing dead across. The course was at least three or four shots tougher than yesterday."

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