Wednesday, October 21, 1998

Associated Press
Defending champion Hale Irwin heads a
stellar field for the Kaanapali Classic.

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Kaanapali
field rich with
millionaires

This week's Senior PGA
Tour event on Maui will feature
seven of the tour's top 10
money winners

By Bill Kwon
Star-Bulletin

Defending champion Hale Irwin headlines the field as the Senior PGA Tour -- golf's senior citizen cash machine -- makes its EMC Kaanapali Classic stop this weekend on Maui.

Joining Irwin, the Senior Tour's leading money winner with $2.45 million, in the 78-player field will be six others who are among the top 10 on the 1998 money list -- Jay Sigel, last week's winner Dana Quigley, Jim Colbert, Bruce Summerhays, Hugh Baiocchi and Isao Aoki.

All have passed the million-dollar mark in earnings this year except Aoki, who is less than $300 short.

One thing's for sure. There won't be a Hale Irwin-Gil Morgan duel at the par-71 Kaanapali North Course.

Morgan, second on the money list and tied with Irwin for most victories this year (six), is skipping the event. In fact, the Doctor hasn't been "in" at Kaanapali since joining the Senior Tour in 1996.

Larry Nelson, third in the money race and a three-time winner this year, and Lee Trevino and Dave Stockton, who made their Senior Tour debut at Kaanapali, also are taking the week off.

But with Irwin and 16 other 1998 tournament winners entered, the Kaanapali Classic boasts one of the strongest fields in its 12-year history.

Besides Irwin and Orville Moody, who won the inaugural Kaanapali Classic in 1987, other previous winners returning this week are Bob Charles (1990, '95 and '96), Jim Colbert (1991), George Archer (1993) and Bob Murphy (1994).

Charles can become only the second Senior Tour golfer to win the same event four times. Jack Nicklaus is a four-time winner at The Tradition.

Colbert, who won the TransAmerica two weeks ago for his first victory since undergoing prostate surgery, and Murphy share the 54-hole record (18-under 195).

Last year, Irwin won with a 13-under 200 for the last of his nine victories in 1997, matching the Senior Tour mark set by Peter Thomson in 1985.

With his recent victory -- his 19th on the Senior Tour -- Colbert moved ahead of Trevino as the all-time money winner on the tour with $8,133,838.

Irwin is No. 1 in combined Senior Tour and PGA Tour earnings with more than $13.1 million.

The tournament begins Friday and concludes Sunday, with the winner collecting $150,000. All three rounds will be televised live on ESPN.