BEAN DRIVES INTO CONTENTION AT AT&T TOURNAMENT BUT IT IS IRWIN WHO STILL HAS LEAD.

Byline: JILL PAINTER

Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA -- Andy Bean gave his driver to a kid who was sitting in the stands at the 18th hole after the first round of the AT&T Champions Classic.

And everyone was smiling.

"You've either got to take it or I'm going to break it," Bean told the boy. "He was happy, and I was happy to get rid of it."

Bean was happy with the results of the driver he used Saturday. He used a driver he'd tried earlier in the year on the Florida swing. It was one of 40-some drivers he's tested this season. Bean hit 12 of 14 fairways -- four more than the previous day -- and shot a 6-under 66 to put himself in contention at Valencia Country Club.

Hale Irwin, who had a two-shot lead after Friday's first round, struggled to a 1-under 71 but leads by one shot. Irwin, who has won 45 tournaments on the Champions Tour, has won 33 of 47 tournaments in which he was leading or sharing the lead heading into the final round.

When asked about his success while playing with the lead, Irwin stuck his fingers in his ears and said, "La, la, la, la, la, la!"

Irwin, Bean and Bobby Wadkins will play in today's final round pairings. Bean and Wadkins, who shot a 67, are tied for second. Five others -- including Loren Roberts, Jim Thorpe and Gil Morgan -- are tied for fourth two shots back and 14players are within three shots of the lead.

But seeing Irwin's name at the top of the leaderboard can't be too comforting for the rest of the field.

"Trying to make up shots on Hale isn't the easiest thing in the world," Bean said. "I know I have to shoot at least this well (66) to have a chance."

Irwin had a three-shot lead after three holes when he made a 12-foot putt on the par-3 third hole. He was his typically consistent self -- hitting fairways and greens -- on the front nine. But Irwin struggled on the back nine. He started with an errant drive to the left on No. 17 and had to scramble, eventually sinking a 5-foot putt for bogey .

Yet for all of Irwin's troubles -- he was going to go over them in his hotel, not at the range -- he still leads the tournament.

"The positive is that it's over, and I'm in the lead," Irwin said. "The positive is that I went from a two-shot lead to a one-shot lead."

Bean hopes they can both put their best golf on display.

"When you beat him, you usually beat a guy that doesn't make mistakes," Bean said. "To me, that's fun. Your games are both there. You'd much rather win and make birdie than for someone else to make bogey."

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CAPTION(S):

2 photos, 4 boxes

Photo:

(1 -- color) Hale Irwin tees off Saturday in the AT&T Champions Classic at Valencia Country Club. Irwin leads by one shot.

(2 -- color) Loren Roberts is tied for fourth, two strokes back, at the AT&T Champions Classic.

Evan Yee/Staff Photographer

Box:

(1) in the rough

- Jill Painter

(2) SCOREBOARD

(3) TODAY'S TEE TIMES

(4) SECOND ROUND: LEADERS' SCORECARDS