Forsman’s blistering back 9 has him in front at Hualalai

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii» Six back-nine birdies Saturday were good enough to get Dan Forsman the lead at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.

Who knows what will be good enough in today’s final round? Even World Golf Hall of Famer Tom Watson, who has eight top 10s here in 11 starts — including a win two years ago — has no idea of how low he will have to go.

"I think I’ll have to shoot 65 or better to have a chance to win, depending on what the wind does," Watson said after a 7-under 65 left him tied for second. "If it blows like this, that’s the right score. If it dies like it did three or four years ago (2006) — I was in fourth place and it died. I shot 8-under 64 and lost a spot. I LOST a spot and finished fifth.

"That’s what can happen on this golf course. It’s a good course to get the Champions Tour going. We love it here. There couldn’t be any better place than Hualalai. This place is elegant."

So elegant, Watson and his wife bought a home here and are spending the month entertaining family and friends, and bonding with the dolphins, bikers and kayakers.

Forsman, admittedly a mediocre putter, has taken ownership of the flawless greens after needing just 21 putts Saturday.

"That kind of shocked me a little bit," Forsman said. "That’s about as good as I’ve had in my career."

Forsman also fired 65 Saturday, to get to 12-under 132 — two ahead of Watson, Jeff Sluman and Brad Bryant, whose 64 was the day’s low round.

To put Hualalai into perspective, Forsman has the highest score by a second-round leader in a decade here. The average winning score in that time is 21 under.

"I’ll have to shoot low again," Forsman said. "How low? History tells us 20, 22 under. I’m at 12, so maybe it’s 19 under. Having said that, someone will probably shoot lights out and go 22 under again. I hope it’s me."

A front nine tacked onto Saturday’s back would get him there. Forsman was in the midst of an "indifferent" round Saturday. He had just one birdie to playing partner Michael Allen’s four when they made the turn, but was heartened by a short game that prevented it from being worse.

Then he pitched to a foot for birdie at No. 10 and turned his day around on the next hole.

"The shot of the day had to be my second shot at 11," Forsman said. "I hit a 5-iron 185 yards from a gnarly, rough lie and chased it to the back edge of the green. I knocked in an 8-footer for birdie.

"That shot could have gone anywhere. It could have been long, over, behind the green in a bunker, right or left, but I got the three and it was a super boost to my round. It got me thinking I could turn a corner here, it could be a good day."

He was prophetic. Forsman grabbed a share of the lead at 10 under with birdies at 13 and 14, both putts from within 8 feet.

He pulled ahead by sinking a 15-foot birdie putt at the 17th and hitting to 2 feet on the final hole.

Forsman has won twice on the Champions Tour, in his first full season (2009) and again in 2010. He finished among the top 10 money winners both years, but dropped to 45th last year — with just one top-10 finish — when he struggled with hip pain.

That "difficult time" was forgotten in Saturday’s birdie spree.

"I feel much, much better than last year," he said. "And obviously when you make birdies like today you don’t feel any pain."

Forsman’s advantage can also be traced to just one bogey in two days. Bryant played Hualalai bogey-free Saturday, chipping in for two of his eight birdies. His last win was the 2007 U.S. Senior Open and, at 57, he needs another to get back to Hualalai.

Watson also avoided bogeys, unlike Friday, and eagled the 10th hole.

"Ben Hogan said it’s not how good you hit your good shots, it’s how bad you hit your bad shots," he said. "My bad shots were better than they were yesterday."

At 62 years, 4 months and 18 days old, Watson would be the third-oldest winner in Champions Tour history if he pulls it off today. History is on his side with his remarkable record in this winners-only event.

Watson insists that is not why he bought a house here.

"I didn’t buy the house for any other reason than it’s just one of the most lovely spots in the world here at Hualalai," he said. "The weather, the people on this Big Island are just wonderful. We love it. Golf is just a bonus."

Defending champion John Cook fired a 66 to share seventh with Bruce Vaughan, Jay Don Blake, Denis Watson and Loren Roberts, four shots behind Forsman.

Vaughan shared first after the opening round with 2011 Player of the Year Tom Lehman, who was one of 12 players, in a field of 41, who did not break par Saturday. His 72 put him in a tie for 12th, four shots back, with Russ Cochran.

Fred Couples is another shot back after a bogey-free 66 got him to 6-under 138.