PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Ken Tanigawa made a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th at Poppy Hills on Saturday for a 5-under 66 and a two-stroke lead in the Pure Insurance Championship.
Making his 18th PGA Tour Champions start after earning his tour card at Q-school, the 50-year-old Tanigawa rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 17th with the eagle.
Gary Hallberg, Marco Dawson and Tom Gillis were tied for second. Hallberg had a 5-under 67 at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round Sunday in the event that pairs players with juniors from The First Tee program. Dawson and Gillis shot 68s at Poppy Hills.
Tanigawa got through Q-school as a re-instated amateur and turned professional again at the start of the season. The former UCLA player had a 10-under 133 total. He opened with a 67 at Pebble Beach on Friday.