Sports Notebook
Star-Bulletin staff
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MASTERCARD CHAMPIONSHIP
BARON SEKIYA / WEST HAWAII TODAY
Allen Doyle lost a close one to Fred Funk yesterday, but he was still happy with his second-place MasterCard finish.
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Slimmed-down Doyle takes close loss in stride
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii » If Allen Doyle was disappointed at not winning the MasterCard Championship, he didn't show it.
Coming off his poorest year since joining the Champions Tour in 1998, Doyle decided a life change was in order if he was going to continue to play golf for a living. Set to turn 60 this summer, Doyle went on a strict diet that left him 20 pounds lighter and much stronger to deal with the rigors of senior golf.
It worked.
Doyle hung with eventual champion Fred Funk for 17 holes, before Funk's birdie-birdie finish did in the 59-year-old, who turned professional when he was 47 to help pay for his daughters' college education.
"You know that you would much rather win," Doyle said. "I finished awful last year, so finishing second here is an encouraging sign. I came back to get myself in a little better shape and then your game is more there. So this is a treat."
Doyle opened a four-shot lead through the first seven holes, but a birdie at the eighth by Funk began a comeback Doyle couldn't counter. He had one birdie and five consecutive pars to close his round. Funk shot 3 under over those same six closing holes, including birdies at the last two.
"He had the chip-in on 17 and the great sand shot at 18," Doyle said. "That's just the way it goes. I'm a big boy. I know the way the world works. There have been tournaments I won that people thought I shouldn't have won. I have no intention of giving back the trophy."
Wind makes a switch
For most of the day, the wind was blowing slightly out of the northeast, maybe hitting 10 to 15 mph. But by the time Funk and Doyle reached the 13th tee, it suddenly switched hard out of the southwest and remained that way for the rest of the tournament.
"At 13, on the tee, the wind did a complete 180," Funk said. "It was kind of laying down a little bit. Then 13, we're on the tee and the wind was behind us, when it should have been coming in. Then I'm on the fairway and it's back to where it's supposed to be. Then we get up to 14 and it just started howling.
"At 17 and 18, the wind was brutal and they were two tough holes. But I don't know what causes the wind to do what it did today. It usually stays in one direction, I suppose, but it did a 180 flip. And turned up the volume a little bit, too."
Doyle was affected by it as well.
"The wind was howling on 16, it's just hard to get set and get over the ball," Doyle said. "The way it was gusting, it's going to tilt you a little."
Inside the numbers
Funk was tied for 17th after opening with a 5-under 67 on Friday. That's the farthest anyone has been behind in a Champions Tour event and won since
Dr. Gil Morgan captured the 2007 Wal-Mart First Tee Open after being tied for 18th at the end of the first round.
John Cook finished sixth in his first appearance on the senior circuit since winning at San Antonio last year. He had only one bogey all week and played his final 46 holes bogey free.
The scoring average yesterday was the highest of the three rounds at 69.951. The hardest hole was the par-3 fifth with a scoring average of 3.366. There were only two birdies, 31 pars, two bogeys, four double bogeys and two triple bogeys, including one by Tom Watson. The easiest hole was the par-5 fourth with a scoring average of 4.171. There were three eagles, 28 birdies and 10 pars.