KAPOLEI, Oahu — Tom Pernice Jr. birdied his final four holes for a 12-under 60 and a four-stroke lead Friday in the Champions Tour’s Hawaii Championship. ADVERTISING KAPOLEI, Oahu — Tom Pernice Jr. birdied his final four holes for a
KAPOLEI, Oahu — Tom Pernice Jr. birdied his final four holes for a 12-under 60 and a four-stroke lead Friday in the Champions Tour’s Hawaii Championship.
“That’s awesome to shoot 12-under 60,” Pernice said. “I just want to have another good day tomorrow.”
Pernice finished a stroke off the tour record of 59 set by Kevin Sutherland last month in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open in Endicott, N.Y.
Davis Love III opened with a 69 in his Champions Tour debut. The 20-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 in April.
Pernice played his final nine holes — the front nine at Kapolei Golf Club — in 7-under 29, also birdieing Nos. 1, 2 and 4. He had five birdies on his opening nine.
On the last four holes, he hit wedge to 6 feet on the par-4 sixth, a lob wedge to 10 feet on the par-5 seventh, chipped in from 25 feet on the par-3 eighth, and hit a lob wedge to a foot on the par-4 ninth.
“I hit the ball really good in the pro-am yesterday and hit good shots on the range this week and had good practice sessions,” Pernice said. “The greens are really good. I putted well today.”
The 55-year-old Pernice tied the tour record for birdies with 12. Walter Morgan set the mark in the 2002 AT&T Canada Senior Open, Fred Couples matched it at the 2011 AT&T Championship and Sutherland accomplished the feat in his 59.
Michael Allen was second after a 64. He’s fighting a cold.
“I got sick Tuesday night. It’s not fun,” Allen said. “I putted well and, basically with a cold, I played one shot at a time. I rolled the ball beautifully today.”
Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic
PRATTVILLE, Ala. — South Africa’s Paula Reto birdied her final hole Friday for a 6-under 66 and a three-stroke lead in the Yokohama Tire LPGA Classic.
Reto had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on her opening nine — the back nine on Capitol Hill’s Senator layout. The 24-year-old former Purdue player finished with eight birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 131.
South Korea’s Mi Jung Hur, tied for the first-round lead with top-ranked Stacy Lewis at 64, was second after a 70. Hur had four birdies and two bogeys.
