KAUPULEHU — Mid-conversation, the usually fast-talking Colin Montgomerie paused briefly to take a peak down the hill at the 18th green.
“It’s just a dramatic spot, isn’t it?,” Montgomerie said, watching intently as first round co-leader Gene Sauers just missed a birdie putt. “If you don’t like this, well, I’m sorry, take a good look in the mirror, you know?”
Montgomerie is an admitted scoreboard watcher, wanting to know exactly what he needs to do to be in contention. Luckily, he didn’t have to look far to find his name on the leaderboard after the second round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship on Friday at Hualalai.
In search of his first title on the Big Island and his seventh on the PGA Tour Champions, Montgomerie fired his second consecutive 7-under 65 to take a two-shot lead heading into the final round.
“You have fun when you drive the ball as well as I did today and take advantage of some of the putts that went in,” Montgomerie said. “I know tomorrow I’ve got to do the same.”
With 17 birdies through 36 holes, Montgomerie has given himself some breathing room from a chase pack that includes the first day co-leaders Jerry Kelly and Sauers at two shots back and David Toms at 11-under. Miguel Angel Jimenez tied Montgomerie for the best round of the day and is in a log-jam at 9-under. Defending champion Bernhard Langer is six strokes off the leader.
There were half dozen players who either had, or shared the lead during the second-round, leading Montgomerie to believe his eyes won’t be wandering far from the leaderboard.
“I know exactly what’s going on. I know who’s actually in 36th place as well,” he said. “I lose concentration sometimes watching other people’s scores and not my own.”
Kelly probably had the most interesting 18 holes during the second round, shooting even par on the front-nine, but roaring to life on his way into the clubhouse with six birdies on his final nine.
“I hit the ball really well but all the putts that dropped yesterday didn’t drop today,” Kelly said. “Sometimes it’s tough when you’re expecting to see them go in just like they did the day before. I was just short and burning edges. It was good putting again, they just didn’t go in.”
Before the tournament started, Kelly picked up the Champions Tour Rookie of the Year trophy at the awards dinner on Tuesday night. When he finished the first round as the co-leader, he became the favorite to win the season-opening event. But within striking distance heading into the final day, expectations are the last thing on the 51-year-old’s mind.
“I just want to give myself a chance every week,” Kelly said. “I figure if I hit the ball in the fairway, my iron game is very good. If the putter’s hot, you know, I should be up there close. It’s just nice to compete week in and week out.”
Rain and some wind is in the forecast for the final day. Last year, 40 mph winds canceled the final round, making it a 36-hole event for the first time in the tournament’s 20-plus year history on the Big Island. Tournament officials said it is a case-by-case basis deciding to shorten a tournament, so if weather does become a factor, it will still be a conversation whether to call it quits after two rounds, or to push the final round back to Sunday.
Lose some, win some
The par-3 fifth hole — which features an elevated tee and water hazards — has proven to be the toughest of the week. It yielded just three birdies in the second round, along with four bogeys and four double bogeys. There were only four double bogeys made on the rest of the course on Friday.
“It’s an intimidating little par 3,” Sauers said. “They had the tees a little bit up today which made it a little bit easier, but when they get those tees back and that wind’s howling, you’ve got to hit it solid.”
Players had their way with holes No. 4 and 10, which tied for the easiest of the day. Both are long par 5s that gave up a pair of eagles.
Only six of the 44 players shot over par in the second round, with 26 rounds below 70.
Ace, funk
Fred Funk hasn’t had the best week at Hualalai and is tied for 39th after two rounds. However, a hole in one on Friday is a highlight he won’t soon forget. With the ace on No. 12, he notched just the second ever recorded at the tournament, the other coming 16 years ago by Doug Tewell.
Just a little later, Vijay Singh, had a chance to add to the hole-in-one total on No. 17. He bounced a shot just inches shy of the hole, but settled for birdie.
60s are golden
For the last 17 years, the winner of this event has carded three rounds in the 60s, with the exception of last year, when only two rounds were played. And the only player to post a round over par and win the event was Hale Irwin in 1997, when he shot a 73 in the opening round. However, winds were clocked at 35-40 mph in that first round.
Hard to erase
Each of the last four years, the winner has held at least a share of the lead after 36 holes. Bernhard Langer (2017, 2014), Duffy Waldorf (2016) and Miguel Angel Jimenez (2015) all won the tournament when leading heading into the final day.