Dana Quigley's hip hurts more sitting than swinging. "It hasn't affected my golf whatsoever," he said. "I actually got my power back that I've had the last few months that I didn't have the last two weeks. I must be a little better."
Bothered by a hip ailment that throbs when he sits, the 58-year-old Quigley shot a 6-under 66 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the Senior Players Championship, the second major on the Champions Tour.
His 133 was the lowest score after 36 holes at the tournament since Gil Morgan also was 11 under after two rounds in 1998 before going on to win the tournament.
Isao Aoki (69) and Tom McKnight (67) were two shots back, and Peter Jacobsen (66), Hale Irwin (68) and Ron Streck (70) followed at 8 under.
Quigley is playing his 264th consecutive event and 278th straight in events he has been eligible for. If his hip doesn't improve, he will end the eight-year run Sunday because of the long flight to the Senior British Open.
"It's not comfortable to sit," he said. "That's really going to be my determining factor, whether I can sit in the plane for seven hours.
"As it is now, I won't do it. The rest of the year is going to be more important than one flight over to Scotland. I hate to break the streak, but what happens, happens."
Quigley used to be just a quirky story for showing up week after week, but he's not anymore. He's having the best year of his career, leading the money list with a pair of victories, three second-place finishes and eight top 10s.
He has made $1.3 million this year and $11.5 million _ with 10 victories _ since joining the Champions Tour in 1997 after making just $92,298 on the PGA Tour. With strong opening rounds at the TPC of Michigan, he moved a step toward claiming the $375,000 winner's check _ and his first major on the Champions Tour.
He was 1 under on the front nine before making five birdies in a seven-hole stretch while smoking his second and third cigars of the day. A 12-foot putt on the 455-yard, par-4 14th _ the course's signature, water-lined hole _ gave him the lead for good at 10 under.
Quigley, Aoki and McKnight finished before the threat of lightning caused a delay of 3 hours, 13 minutes, making Irwin resume play on the ninth green.
"I think I lost a little momentum," said Irwin, who made only one of his four birdies after the delay. "I never got my feet under me after the break. That was the only change in condition _ the loss of momentum."
Graham Marsh had the opening-round lead at 8 under, then faltered with a 76 to drop to 4 under. Tom Watson shot a second-round 72 after shooting 6 under in the opening round.
Defending champion Mark James (69) was six shots off the lead.
The Senior Players is the first of three straight majors, followed by the Senior British Open in two weeks at Royal Aberdeen and the U.S. Senior Open the following week in Ohio.
Dana Quigley's hip hurts more sitting than swinging. "It hasn't affected my golf whatsoever," he said. "I actually got my power back that I've had the last few months that I didn't have the last two weeks. I must be a little better."