Irwin shoots 70 on old hunting ground

Hale Irwin's glance across the green was enough to tell him where he was. As if he needed a reminder.

He was back at Medinah, where he scored one of the most dramatic victories of his long career.

And back on the regular tour, competing against younger players, including one of his partners in the first round of the PGA Championship -- 19-year-old Sergio Garcia.

"You mean my grandson?" Irwin joked after shooting a 2-under 70 today, leaving him four shots behind Garcia.

"He rips it, no doubt," Irwin said. "If I swung that hard you'd have to pick me up in 14 different pieces and put me back together."

"I look at him and can't tell if he's 13 or 19. They all look so young to me."

At age 54, Irwin is the oldest player in the PGA Championship field. But he's not here as a token from the Senior PGA Tour that he has dominated the last several years with 25 victories, including five this season.

He's here to play well and relish his return to Medinah, where, in 1990, he captured the U.S. Open in sudden death on the 91st hole. He also wants to show he can still compete with players half his age. Or, in Garcia's case, younger.

"You can laugh about it and joke about it," he said. "It's not a marathon. I'm not trying to get into a strength or stamina test. I'm just trying to play golf. I still have a few skills that are there.

"This is a different arena from which I normally play and this is an event that is important. I don't want to say today's round was emotion. I played no golf last week. I needed the rest. You come in and play Medinah against the best players in the world and you need a little energy, maybe like you had when you were 19 years old.

"I'm not trying to fool anybody."

Irwin's score would have been lower if not for a bogey on the 18th hole and some problems all day with his putter. When he missed his short par putt on 18, he twirled his putter several times, looking as if he'd like to launch it into the trees.

Still, he was satisfied with the round.

"Let's be realistic," he said. "If I can come here and play good solid golf, which I did today, if I can be competitive and shoot three more scores like that, you never know."

AP