Bruce Fleisher,
the Senior PGA Tour's leading money winner, shot a 6-under 65 today and held a
one-stroke lead over earnings runner-up Hale Irwin and Jim Ahern after the first
round of the $1 million Kaanapali Classic.
Tied for fourth at 67 were 1994 champion Bob Murphy and Brian Barnes. Jim Colbert,
who won here in 1991, and Steve Veriato, a Monday qualifier, were at 68.
Fleisher pitched in
for a birdie 2 on No. 17 for a 32 on the back nine as the winds picked up at the
Kaanapali North Course for the 78-player field. His only birdie on the front nine
came at the par-5 third.
"With
three weeks left, I'm trying to stay a step ahead of Irwin," said Fleisher, who
leads Irwin, the leading senior money winner the last two years, by some $216,000.
The closest brush marring
a bogey-free round came at the oceanside par-4 14th when Fleisher left his first
putt 40 feet short of the cup.
"That
was a big turning point," he said. "I was 4 under at the time, and might have
gone to 3."
After
three-putting for a bogey at the same hole, Irwin eagled the par-5 15th with a
3-foot putt and birdied the par-4 18th dead into the wind to get within one of
Fleisher.
"I'm a
local tourist, and I know how the wind is here," said Irwin, who represents the
Kapalua Resort just up the road on Maui Island. "But this was as weird a day as
far as varying wind conditions as I have ever seen.
"Still,
I'm pleased with my score, although not necessarily how I came by it," he said.
Murphy was also 5 under
after a birdie on 17, but he bogeyed the finishing hole.
"I
had a bad break at 18 when the wind suddenly changed directions and we were right
into the teeth of it," said Murphy, who birdied all three par-3s.
"It's
really strange. I birdied more par-3s than par-5s," he said. "Now if we can keep
Fleisher from birdieing every hole, we might get a chance."
Barnes, whose best finish this year was a tie for sixth in the MasterCard Championship
on Hawaii, was 4 under after 10 holes only to par in the rest of the way.
The two-time British Senior
Open winner missed five birdie putts of 10 feet or less on the back nine.
"The wind on the back nine
was incredible," he said.
Defending champion Jay Sigel posted a 1-over 72 at the 6,590-yard Kaanapali North
Course.
The 54-hole
tournament ends Sunday with the winner getting $150,000.
