What do you do when a spark plug like Tadd Fujikawa decides not to defend his two-time championship at your event?

Infuse some Dean Wilson to cure what ails ya.

The PGA Tour veteran and Castle High alum, who is back in his native Hawaii this week, surged to the forefront of the 52nd Mid-Pacific Open with a 3-under 69. It put him two shots off the lead after two days of play.

He trails young professionals Nick Mason (70) and Samuel Cyr (72), who are tied for the lead at 2-under 142.

Though the PGA pickings have been slim in 2010 for the 40-year-old Wilson — he's played in three events, making the cut at two — and the going was rough in Thursday's first round (he shot a 3-over 75), Wilson was all smiles yesterday. He posted a bogey-free round and closed strong with a 10-foot downhill birdie on his second-to-last hole for the best score of the day, all despite alternating rainy and blustery conditions.

“;That's what I was hoping to do, is to be in contention and play with a lot of the guys from Hawaii and see how their games are,”; Wilson said. “;Like Bradley Shigezawa, he's always playing good ... and Lorens Chan. It's good to see all the young guys play well. Kevin Hayashi always plays well. I don't get to play with them much, you know, but it's fun to come back.”;

Shigezawa, a Punahou senior who is tied for third with Wilson, went 3 over yesterday after his 69 on Thursday staked him to an early lead. He was in Wilson's group, along with local veterans Hayashi and Mike Kawate.

“;I did give away a few strokes today, but can't complain too much, I guess,”; Shigezawa said. “;It's great that (Wilson) is even coming out to play in our events. To be paired with him, it's just fantastic. To play with a tour player, you never get to do that.”;

Wilson said he hopes to play more PGA events this summer by making it as an alternate, or trying some Nationwide events. He last played Mid-Pac in 1994, soon after he finished college. He thinks it was his only other time at this event — and things seemed different.

“;I don't remember in 1994 them doing this to the greens,”; Wilson quipped of his ball's considerable ground speed. Though it was obvious he enjoyed himself, firing good-natured barbs at the affable Hayashi.

“;He adds so much to the tournament. He does,”; said Hayashi, who is tied for fifth after a 10-foot curving birdie on his final hole yesterday put him at 2-over 146. “;I even thanked him, 'Eh, thanks for coming back and playing.' “;

Wilson will have his work cut out for him against Mason, a 2001 Leilehua grad and former Hawaii-Hilo player, and Cyr, a 23-year-old Maui native. Both have been models of consistency despite, in Cyr's case, never having played the tournament before.

Mason, who now lives in Arizona and plays in events primarily around the Midwest, parred his final nine holes yesterday after posting three birdies against one bogey on his front nine.

“;The importance of hitting the fairways here at Mid-Pac Country Club is at an extreme,”; said Mason, in his fourth year playing this event. “;The greens are so firm, that if you hit it in the rough, you got no chance to stop it. You gotta pick and choose where you get aggressive out here. But the golf course has played unbelievable so far.”;

Cyr, who turned pro in September, was convinced to play Mid-Pac by his friend, Casey Watabu. He might have had the outright lead going into the weekend if not for two bogeys on his final four holes that set him at par for the day. But when he was informed he shared the lead midway through the afternoon, he exclaimed, “;Oh, sweet!”;

“;(The late bogeys) left quite a bit of a bitter taste, but I played pretty solid all day, pretty much,”; Cyr said. “; I feel like I'm striking it pretty well. Putter feels pretty good. Haven't got it all down, but I've been fortunate.”;

Stan Souza had the best score in the new senior pro category at 146.