Frost has hottest hand at Hualalai

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii » At first glance, Friday’s first round of the Mitsubishi Electric Championship looked like a golden masters golf tournament. Larry Nelson, 65, grabbed an early lead and 63-year-old Tom Kite was first to catch him.

As the Champions Tour season-opener wore on in brilliant conditions at Hualalai Golf Club, the leaderboard began to resemble a list of past Hawaiian Open champions. John Cook, John Huston, Corey Pavin, Brad Faxon, Jeff Sluman and Mark O’Meara all made appearances on leaderboards created by Mitsubishi.

Ultimately, South African David Frost stood alone after a 7-under-par 65. He takes a one-shot lead into today’s second round.

Six players are tied for second in this tournament of champions, which starts the senior tour’s 34th season. Huston, Russ Cochran and Kenny Perry are another shot back.

But for a bogey on the final hole, 2012 Champions Tour Rookie of the Year Kirk Triplett would have shared first. Instead, he shares second with Kite, Cook, Willie Wood, Fred Couples and Tom Lehman, the senior tour’s Player of the Year in 2011 and 2012.

The difference for Frost was a 40-foot eagle putt on the seventh hole that put him 5 under. His only bogey came on the next hole and three birdies on the back nine put him ahead of an elite group that keeps beating up on Hualalai.

This course has been the tour’s easiest in nine of the past 10 years. Only eight players, including defending champion Dan Forsman (73), failed to break par in pristine conditions Friday. The average score was 69.550 — a few birdies better than last year’s first round (69.610).

Two weeks earlier, the PGA Tour tried to begin its season at Kapalua. That day and the next two were blown to bits by 50-mph gusts. In Friday’s flawless weather, that seemed like another lifetime.

"I got here last Thursday and a friend said it had been wind-less the last two weeks," said Frost, who missed two birdie putts inside 5 feet. "I was just hoping it would stay like that.

"Some people want to see it blow, but it’s nice to see some good scores out there. It’s nice to see a golfer shoot low and hit good shots and make putts. I know amateurs want to see us play in the wind and see how we control the golf ball, but we have enough moments like that."

The trees barely moved Friday. Triplett also had an eagle, hitting his hybrid club 244 yards to 6 feet on the par-5 10th. He was 7 under through 15 holes, then stalled.

"I hit the ball real well all day, had a lot of chances," Triplett said. "I made a nice eagle and had a couple birdies early on the back nine that got me to a nice score, then I couldn’t get it any lower."

The man in the bucket hat didn’t begin his Champions career until April last year (he turned 50 in March) and still finished 19th on the money list. It helped that he closed the inaugural Pacific Links Hawaii Championship in September with 65s on the weekend.

A missed 6-footer on the final hole Friday prevented a third straight 65 in Hawaii, which, in these conditions, is what it will take to contend.

Frost, 53, won his last start a month ago on the European Senior Tour. He also captured two Champions titles last year and tied for fourth at Pacific Links. It was his best year since joining this tour in 2009.

Friday was simply a continuation of that success, and his feel for Hawaii golf.

"I enjoy the grass here," said Frost, who has gone without a three-putt in 218 consecutive rounds. "Bermuda grass is something you have to study on the greens — be patient and read the grain. It’s something I’ve been good at in my career and maybe that’s part of why I play well here."

Kite won here in 2002, finished second five years later, and took seventh in 2011. He had seven one-putts on the front nine, birdied six of his first 12 holes and went bogey-free in his 12th start at Hualalai.

He said he has never seen it nicer.

"It was perfect, absolutely perfect," Kite said. "They did what they could with the pin placements, like 18 was very close to the edge, but when you catch a day like today and the golf course is in as good a shape as it is, there are going to be low scores. There always are unless the wind comes up."

Australian Steve Elkington also bogeyed the final hole to shoot 68 in his senior debut. He is tied for 11th with Pavin, Jay Haas and Bernhard Langer.

"At some point you grow out of high school, you know," Elkington joked. "You finish up and go past the little kids that are coming in. They’re all 22 and I’m 50. This is a reward I suppose I’ve earned from being on tour three decades almost."