SENIORS E. Palestine's McGee shares 3M golf lead

He shot a 67 and is tied with Morris Hatalsky and Jim Thorpe after the first round
BLAINE, Minn. (AP) -- East Palestine's Jerry McGee, who hasn't won a tournament since joining the Champions Tour in 1993, shot a 5-under 67 Friday and is tied with Morris Hatalsky and Jim Thorpe for the first-round lead at the 3M Championship.
Hatalsky dropped into the three-way tie with a final-hole bogey, while Thorpe moved into it with an eagle on the par-5 18th hole at the 6,909-yard TPC of the Twin Cities.
McGee, who only has one top 10 finish this year and tied for 23rd at last week's FleetBoston Classic, had seven birdies.
Needs to make money
"I need to make some money in the next 10 weeks or I'll be off this tour," McGee said.
McGee got off to a fast start with birdies on three of his first five holes.
"That always gets you in a good frame of mind," he said.
Hatalsky had a one-shot lead heading to the final hole but his second shot found the water.
"You never want to end like that," said Hatalsky, who admitted he was taking a chance using his 4-wood on the 18th.
"I should've used the 3," he said.
After starting with eight straight pars Thorpe had birdies on Nos. 9, 10 and 12 then bogeyed 13. He birdied 16 before his eagle on the final hole.
Thorpe, who's had five top 10 finishes this year, told his caddie on the ninth hole that he needed to start playing more aggressively.
Thorpe makes eagle putt
"If you get beat, you get beat," Thorpe said.
He took his own advice on the 582-yard closing hole. He hit a 4-iron over water from 196 yards within 4 1/2 feet and made the eagle putt.
Hale Irwin, playing in only his second tournament since June, was tied at 4 under with Wayne Levi, David Eger, Bob Murphy and Mike Smith.
Ben Crenshaw was among five players at 69.
Irwin, the 3M defending champion, was forced to withdraw from the U.S. Open in June because of back pain.
On Friday, Irwin said he's still bothered by some tightness, but "my back held up OK for the most part."
Irwin is going for an unprecedented fourth 3M title. He's dominated the event with six consecutive top-three finishes, including victories in 1997, 1999 and 2002. He has posted scores in the 60s in 16 of his previous 20 rounds and collected more than $1 million in seven appearances.
Irwin has said he would have taken this week off if not for his success in past 3M tournaments.
Irwin said he's still having trouble using his pitching wedge and sand wedge because they have shorter shafts. He quickly headed for treatment after his interview session.
"I'm very happy with that round of golf," he said.
Bruce Lietzke, the 2001 3M champion and this year's Champions Tour money leader with $1.4 million in 15 events, double bogeyed twice on the front nine en route to a 71.