Pooley uses new putter to grab one-shot lead

SNOQUALMIE, Wash. – Don Pooley shot a 7-under 65 Saturday and took a one-stroke lead over Scott Simpson and first-round leader Massy Kuramoto in the Champions Tour’s Boeing Greater Seattle Classic.

Pooley, who turns 55 next week, finished at 12-under 132 on the TPC at Snoqualmie Ridge course. Simpson, the 1987 U.S. Open champion, was at 11 under following a career-best round of 61 that included 11 birdies, seven on the back nine.

His previous best round was 62 at the 1991 Hawaiian Open. It also set the competitive record for the Jack Nicklaus-designed TPC course.

Kuramoto, who opened with a then course-record 9-under 63 on Friday, stumbled early in the second round of the Champions Tour event but recovered for a 2-under 70 to tie Simpson at 133.

Three others were tied at 9-under 135, including Tom Kite, who made an early afternoon charge. Kite, who began the day eight shots behind, used his putter well to shoot a 64. He needed just 21 putts for his round.

Kite is tied with Australian Graham Marsh and Ireland’s Des Smyth, three strokes back.

“I was trying to put some distance on the field and it didn’t quite happen,” said Pooley, who won the 2002 U.S. Senior Open. “I’ve made a lot of putts both days.”

Pooley had been putting poorly coming into the tourney. When he finished 40th two weeks ago at the 3M Championship, he bent his putter over his knee.

“The shaft broke somehow after the 18th green,” he joked. “Then I took it home and finished off the rest of it.”

He picked up a new putter Thursday and it’s working well.

The ideal conditions and particularly soft greens have helped keep the scores low. The greens have been watered more frequently because of a fungus that has damaged parts of them.

“You can be very aggressive with the soft greens,” Pooley said. “The speed also is a little on the slow side so you can be aggressive on putts as well.”

Kite, the 1992 U.S. Open Champion, had 10 birdies.

“It’s hard to complain when you are shooting 64,” he said.

Of the 78 players in the field, 54 are below par and 38 are within eight shots of the lead.

“You can just fly it right by the hole and know it’s going to stop,” said Simpson, who hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. “If you’re dialed in for distance, you’re going to have a lot of birdie putts.”

Simpson, who began the day nine strokes behind, shot a career-low 29 on his front nine.