KAUPULEHU-KONA — David Frost shot a 65 Saturday to hold a two-stroke lead over John Cook after the second round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship.
Frost’s bogey-free round left him at 14-under-par 130 at Hualalai Golf Club in the season opener of the Champions Tour.
With winds gusting to 28 mph, scores were higher in the second round, but it barely bothered the 53-year-old South African. Despite having his first-round lead cut in half, he remained in front with five birdies on the back nine, where he needed just 12 putts.
Cook, the 2011 Mitsubishi winner, holed out for eagle from 114 yards on No. 18 to finish at 6-under 66.
“We all have to pay attention,” said Cook, who won each of his first five years on this tour before being shut out in 2012. “It’s early in the year. It’s not like it used to be where you kind of played your way in the first couple weeks.
“You better come here with your game intact if you want to have a chance because everybody else is. These scores, for the first week of the year on a tough day like this — those are pretty good scores being shot.”
Frost said the result of Cook’s clutch final shot is “sometimes good, sometimes bad” going into the final day.
“Obviously the bigger lead you can have the better,” Frost said. “With nine holes to go is where the action really starts (today) so you just want to put yourself in position with nine holes to go. Sometimes with a big lead you guide yourself around the golf course. When you don’t have a big lead you tend to play your natural game.”
Kirk Triplett, the 2012 Rookie of the Year, was third, another two strokes back after a 68. Fred Couples and 63-year-old Tom Kite both shot 69s and were at 205.
Two-time Mitsubishi champion Hale Irwin finished with a 68 to move into a tie for 11th.
Champions Tour
Mitsubishi Electric Championship
Saturday’s second round
David Frost 65-65—130
John Cook 66-66—132
Kirk Triplett 66-68—134
Fred Couples 66-69—135
Tom Kite 66-69—135
Bernhard Langer 68-68—136
Jay Haas 68-69—137
Steve Elkington 68-69—137
Russ Cochran 67-70—137
Tom Lehman 66-71—137
Hale Irwin 70-68—138
Fred Funk 69-69—138
Willie Wood 66-72—138
Larry Nelson 69-70—139
Corey Pavin 68-71—139
Kenny Perry 67-72—139
Mark O’Meara 70-70—140
Loren Roberts 72-69—141
Mark Calcavecchia 71-70—141
Craig Stadler 70-71—141
Jeff Sluman 69-72—141
Joe Daley 69-72—141
John Huston 67-75—142
Mike Reid 73-70—143
Jay Don Blake 71-72—143
Mark Wiebe 70-73—143
Roger Chapman 70-73—143
Tom Watson 69-74—143
Curtis Strange 69-74—143
Bob Gilder 75-69—144
Olin Browne 73-71—144
Jim Thorpe 71-73—144
D.A. Weibring 71-73—144
Bruce Vaughan 73-72—145
Brad Faxon 69-76—145
Dan Forsman 73-73—146
Eduardo Romero 73-73—146
David Eger 71-75—146
Michael Allen 70-80—150
Ben Crenshaw 78-74—152
