Ka'upulehu-Kona, HI (Sports Network) - David Frost shot 7-under 65 on Saturday
to establish a two-stroke lead entering the final round of the season-opening
Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai.
Frost entered Saturday with a one-shot advantage and reeled off seven birdies
during his bogey-free round at Hualalai Golf Course to reach 14-under 130
through 36 holes. He will shoot for his fourth Champions Tour victory on
Sunday.
John Cook, who won this tournament in 2011, dunked a long chip for eagle on
the par-4 18th to grab sole possession of second place at 12-under. He has
carded consecutive rounds of 66.
"I hit a good drive right down the slot," Cook said in a post-round television
interview. "The wind is lied down so it's just a little out of my gap wedge
range; so it was just a nice little chippy pitching wedge ... about a 112-yard
shot and I hit it 112 yards and the rest of it just kid of found its way."
Kirk Triplett is alone in third place at 10-under after carding a 68. Fred
Couples (69) and Tom Kite (69) are tied for fourth place at 9-under, while
2010 Charles Schwab Cup winner Bernhard Langer (68) is in fifth place at
minus-8.
Ten-time PGA Tour victor Steve Elkington, who is making his Champions Tour
debut, shot 69 to move into a tie for seventh place with Tom Lehman (71), Jay
Haas (69) and Russ Cochran (70) at 7-under. Lehman won the final tournament
last season to secure his second straight Charles Schwab Cup.
Tom Watson, who was recently named the 2014 U.S. Ryder Cup captain, is 1-
under through 36 holes and defending champion Dan Forsman is 2-over.
Frost parred his first three holes on Saturday, and Triplett took advantage
with a trio of birdies to move to 9-under through three holes. But as the
latter leveled off with six straight pars, the former began to heat up,
notching birdies on Nos. 4 and 7 to pull even at the turn.
The outward nine belonged to Frost, who reeled off five birdies in a six-hole
span, including four straight beginning at No. 12. He did the work with his
putter, rimming in a short birdie try on the 10th and burying a 15-footer on
No. 12 to begin the stretch.
He closed the second round as he started it -- with three consecutive pars,
allowing Cook to get within striking distance courtesy of his impressive eagle
on the last.
"Frosty is going low, I know that," Cook said on his prospects of catching the
leader.
NOTES: Frost recorded two of his three career Champions Tour wins last season
... This is the first of 26 official events in the season-long competition
for the Charles Schwab Cup ... The field is comprised of players who have won
a Champions Tour major championship within the last five seasons or a
Champions Tour co-sponsored and approved tournament in the last two years,
plus sponsor exemptions ... Last year, Forsman carded rounds of 67-65-69 to
earn a two-stroke win over Jay Don Blake.
The Sports Network