Haas and Roberts renew their rivalry at Hualalai
KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii (AP) -- Jay Haas and Loren Roberts have been dueling the past few years for the top spot on the Champions Tour.
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In 2006, Haas swept the money title, player of the year award and Charles Schwab Cup. Actually, Roberts lost the Schwab Cup when he missed a 4-foot par putt on the final hole of the season.
Haas repeated as player of the year and the Tour's top money-winner last year, but Roberts' strong finish helped him capture the Schwab Cup and its $1 million annuity.
The third round between the Champions Tour stars begins Friday in the MasterCard Championship, the first of 29 events this season of the 50-and-over circuit.
"I'm sure he's trying to beat me as bad as I'm trying to beat him and everybody else in the field," said Roberts, coming off a two-win season including a victory at the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship.
Roberts finished fourth at Hualalai last year and won in his 2006 debut with a 25-under 191 total, breaking the Tour's 54-hole record in relation to par.
The Boss of the Moss knows what he needs this weekend on the oceanside layout.
"You've got to think in terms of 20-something under here," Roberts said.
Haas finished third in 2006 and fifth last year, but noted he hasn't come close to winning because of the low scores.
"So when I think I've made enough putts, I need to make a few more," he said.
The 54-year-old Haas is coming his second straight four-win season and is seeking an unprecedented third straight player of the year award. Jim Colbert and Hale Irwin are the only back-to-back winners of the Jack Nicklaus Trophy.
In the offseason, Haas kept his usual workout regiment and took brief stretches away from golf to rest physically and mentally.
"At our age now, I think we have to be really emotionally ready to be out here," he said. "You just can't go through the motions. I don't think our play will show its best side if we're not ready to play in our head."
Haas played 27 of 29 events last year, but plans to limit his schedule this year to about two dozen tournaments to stay fresh, especially at the end of the year. He's skipping next week's Turtle Bay Championship on Oahu.
"For me, when I get tired physically, I start making some bad decisions on the golf course," he said.
Haas' four victories last year came in his first 15 starts.
Haas said he feels pressure for another strong season just to prove to himself what he's capable of. But it won't be easy.
"I really have to play well," he said. "There's more and more good players coming out or as we say, 'The young guys.' The 50-year-olds."
Roberts, who turns 53 in June, has been one of the best since joining the Champions Tour, but already feels his clock ticking, entering just his third full season.
"You have a pretty short window," Roberts said. "Hale is kind of an exception to the rule. He's always been physically fit and a true athlete. For him to be competitive, clear through 61 or 62 years of age, that's a huge credit to his athletic ability and the fact that he works at it."
The 62-year-old Irwin, who withdrew from Wednesday's pro-am for personal reasons, is looking defend his title and continue his magic in the Aloha State, where he has nine official victories.
Last year, he beat Jim Thorpe and Tom Kite by five strokes for his Tour-record 45th victory. Irwin shot a second-round 62 en route to a 23-under 193 total to become the sixth-oldest winner in Tour history.
It was his lone victory of the 2007 season.
While the MasterCard Championship will be the first event for most of the field, Fred Funk already appears to be in midseason form and enjoying the islands
Funk already has earned $208,688 after playing in the PGA TOUR's Mercedes-Benz Championship and the Sony Open. He tied for 25th at Kapalua and tied for 10th at Waialae.
The 54-hole, $1.8 million MasterCard Championship is being played at Hualalai, known for its generous greens, reachable par 5s and black lava rock surroundings. If the wind stays down, the course will be very forgiving for the golfers who didn't practice during the offseason.
The field of 41 includes seven members of the World Golf Hall of Fame including Irwin, Kite, Ben Crenshaw, Bernhard Langer, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino and Tom Watson.
The winners-only tournament also feature eight first-timers, including R.W. Eaks, who remembered to bring his clubs to the Big Island but forgot to pack his golf shoes.
Copyright 2008 Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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