LUTZ, Fla. Larry Nelson, still working his way back from a herniated disc, shot a 3-under-par 68 today to move into a one-stroke lead after two rounds of the GTE Classic seniors tournament.

Nelson stood at 4-under 138 after two rounds at the Tournament Players Club at Tampa Bay, ahead of Jim Dent and Hale Irwin. Dent shot a 67 on Saturday and Irwin carded a 69.

"I think I have hit the ball pretty well," said Nelson, who took a seven-week hiatus last season to let the ailment heal. "I'm kind of happy to be in the position."

Despite earning more than $1 million in half a season, pain in Nelson's neck and shoulder kept his right arm from being strong enough to compete. The ailment was so serious that Nelson's doctor chose not to discuss his fears until months later.

"I wasn't sure whether I'd ever play at the level I want to play," Nelson said. "It didn't seem like my arm was getting any stronger. So I was resigning myself that I could be happy and do some stuff even if I didn't play. But it did heal up a little bit."

Nelson returned to complete the season with his third victory of 1998 and a runner-up finish. Still, his doctor had warned the healing process would be at least six months and most likely a year.

"I've been working hard, and that's what concerns me," Nelson said. "Because of my neck, I think there is a fine line between whether I can practice too much to irritate it and not enough to get my game in shape."

Irwin, the two-time Senior Player of the Year, and hometown favourite Dent won't make things easy. Swirling winds have turned every swing into something of a gamble.

"You've got a difficult wind. It is not steady in one direction," Irwin said. "So pulling the right club is difficult.

"It's a difficult golf course," he continued. "There is water everywhere. You have to be careful where you hit it. Caution is the byword and aggression does not seem to be in anybody's vocabulary at this particular time."

Bruce Fleisher, who last week became the first golfer to win each of his first two Senior PGA events, and first-round leader Larry Laoretti headed a group of five golfers two shots behind Nelson.

Fleisher shot his second consecutive 70 on Saturday, while Laoretti followed his opening-round 67 with a 73. They were joined at 2-under 140 by John Bland (69), Walter Hall (68) and Gibby Gilbert (71).