AKRON, Ohio — Harrison Frazar found Firestone a bit more difficult on Friday, shooting a solid 2-under 68 for a 1-shot lead over Stewart Cink at the Kaulig Companies Championship.
The 51-year-old Frazar was at 7-under 133 in the fourth of five majors on the PGA Tour Champions. He had one PGA Tour victory in 409 career starts, the 2011 FedEx St. Jude Classic, and has yet to win on the over-50 tour.
“As far as remembering how to win, no, it’s been a long time,” Frazar said. “Golf is a rhythm, golf is a balance. Just try to do everything the same and just try to do the best I can and see where they add up.”
Frazar made three birdies in his first six holes and held on from there, making two bogeys and one more birdie on the par-4 13th.
“A couple of short shots that landed pin-high and kind of bounced long, chipped in one of those. I just kind of hung in, just tried to keep fighting and tried to get the ball up and down realizing that this is a hard golf course,” Frazar said.
Cink, who trailed Frazar and Steve Stricker by 1 after the opening round, also shot 68. Stricker, who won the first two PGA Tour Champions majors of the year, shot 73 to fall 5 shots off the lead.
Ernie Els (67) was 2 shots back and K.J. Choi (66) was alone in fourth, 3 shots off the lead.
Bernhard Langer, the 65-year-old who won the U.S. Senior Open two weeks ago to break the PGA Tour Champions career victory record, was 6 shots back after a 68.