Hale Irwin's troubles in the Senior Tour Championships continued Friday as he shot a 73 and fell two strokes behind Ray Floyd midway through the season-ending event.

Floyd, the 1994 champion, birdied the last three holes for a 68 and a two-day total of 7-under-par 137. Jim Albus, who lost to Floyd in a five-hole playoff four years ago, also shot 68 to tie Irwin at 139.Irwin, the Senior PGA Tour's runaway star since joining in 1995, has led at The Dunes Golf & Beach Club the past three tournaments, including this one with an opening 66. But something always dropped him back in virtually the only major senior event he's never won.

"Boy, the way I played today, it could have been just about any big score," he said.

And Irwin always seems to post a few here. In 1995, it was a third-round 75. A year later, he followed a first-round 67 with a 75. Last year, Irwin was two behind eventual champion Gil Morgan in the final round, but struggled to a 71.

SARAZEN WORLD OPEN: At Braselton, Ga., Edward Fryatt is a no-name no more. Suddenly, he's the center of attention.

The 27-year-old Fryatt, who had a dozen people - mostly friends and family - following him Friday, shot a second consecutive 5-under-par 67 for a 134 total after the second round of the Sarazen World Open.

He had a two-stroke lead over first-round leader Bob Tway, who shot a 70. Another stroke back was Ricardo Gonzalez of Argentina and Scotland's Andrew Coltart. Both had 68s.

At 140 was a group that included PGA players Stewart Cink and Bob Friend, Peter O'Malley of Australia, Greg Turner of New Zealand and two-time Masters champion Bernard Langer of Germany. Cink had a 68, Friend a 66, O'Malley a 67 and Turner and Langer each had 72s.

"You guys didn't know who I was until this week. If there's any pressure, it's on the (PGA) tour guys to do well," said Fryatt, who has had some succcess in three years on the Asian tour, winning five times.

LPGA JAPAN CLASSIC: At Hanno, Japan, Tina Barrett - winless over the last nine seasons on the LPGA Tour - tied her career-best score of 7-under-par 65, and took a two-stroke lead in the next-to-last LPGA tournament of the year.

Jenny Lidback and Huang Yu-chen of Taiwan were tied for second at 67.