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Irwin surges, Nicklaus falters Associated Press June 26 3:44pm ET | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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DEARBORN, Mich. -- Pain forced Hale Irwin to withdraw from
the U.S. Open while Jack Nicklaus played on. A week later, their
roles are reversed.
Irwin took command of the Senior Players Championship with a crafty 8-under-par 64 Saturday, while an aching hip forced Nicklaus to withdraw after nine holes.
"That did not surprise me," said Irwin, still being treated for a sore left shoulder. "I'm surprised he made it this far. We were in the fitness trailer together." Irwin, who credits two therapists who travel with the Senior PGA Tour for making his shoulder feel better with every day, played a bogey-free round highlighted by a 236-yard 4-wood to seven feet for eagle on the par-5 13th. "Talk about a flip around," said Irwin, who had a four-shot lead over Graham Marsh. "The golf game seems to be coming around, thanks to the guys in the trailer. A week ago, I'm laid up at home and thinking I might be out for a couple of months. "And then to be where I am right now, I feel very fortunate." Irwin, one of five players who started the day two strokes behind Marsh, birdied the first three holes and never looked back as Marsh bogeyed the final hole for 70. Spaniard Jose Maria Canizares shot 68 for 207 to tie Larry Nelson, whose balky putter held him to a 69 over the TPC of Michigan. Still, the brilliant play crafted by the leaders was almost overshadowed by the withdrawal of Nicklaus, who designed the course. "It's sad that he had to drop out," Marsh said. "I hope it's not because he tried to come back too quickly." Yet that's exactly what did happen. Nicklaus, complaining of pain around the left hip he had surgically replaced in January, said he apparently tried to play too much, too soon after the operation. "Hopefully, I'll be all right for the U.S. Senior Open (July 8-11 in Des Moines)," Nicklaus said. "I'll play it by ear." This was only the third time in his long and distinguished career that Nicklaus, 59, has withdrawn from a tournament. The first was the 1980 World Series, where he had to be carried from the practice area. A sore back forced him from the 1983 Masters. "You know, it's certainly not my choice," Nicklaus said. "I've always finished." Senior rookie Bruce Fleisher, the circuit's leading money-winner at $1.1 million, was tied at 208 with John Jacobs and Japan's Isao Aoki. Fleisher and Jacobs shot 68s, Aoki had 70. England's Brian Barnes shot 68 for 209, matching Argentinean Vincente Fernandez, who carded a 71.
Divots
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Senior Players Championship third-round scores
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