By Greg Robertson
ESPN Golf Online
Sunday, May 28

Details
When	Friday-Sunday
Course	Boone Valley Golf Club, Augusta, Mo.
Par/Yardage	Par 72; 6,731 yards
Purse	$1.5 (Winner: $225,000)
1999 champion	Hale Irwin
Tournament record	16-under 200 (Hale Irwin, 1997; Larry Nelson, 1998)
Television	Friday: 3-5 p.m. ET (ESPN) Saturday-Sunday: 5:30-7 p.m. ET (ESPN)

The tournament

	Hole by hole
	Hole	Par	Yards
	1	4	405
	2	4	410
	3	3	183
	4	4	435
	5	4	430
	6	5	505
	7	4	344
	8	3	128
	9	5	561
	Out	36	3401
	10	4	361
	11	4	426
	12	3	181
	13	4	425
	14	5	476
	15	4	345
	16	3	224
	17	5	491
	18	4	401
	In	36	3330
	Total	72	6731

Hale Irwin is hoping for a successful homecoming -- again -- at the Boone Valley Classic.

Irwin was born in nearby Joplin, Mo., and remains a part-time resident of the St. Louis area. His comfort level on Boone Valley Golf Club has been obvious through the years.

Irwin won this event in both 1997 and 1998 and was runnerup in 1996. His 1997 triumph set the tournament record at 16-under, and his 63 in 1996 set the course record.

Irwin will attempt to defend a 1999 title for the second time this season. The first came earlier this month when he succeeded at the Nationwide Championship, picking up the 26th title of his Senior Tour career. That leaves him just two shy of Lee Trevino on the all-time victory list.

Last year, Irwin held off Al Geiberger by two strokes at Boone Valley. He entered the final round two shots behind Bruce Summerhays, but a bogey-free 66 carried him to the win.

Irwin made three consecutive birdies on the front nine to take the lead, then sealed the win with another birdie on No. 12. The key to his mistake-free round was hitting 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

Although Irwin has had great success at this event, the one year he didn't was significant in his Senior career. Irwin's tie for 13th in 1998 broke a string of 19 consecutive top-five finishes on the Senior Tour.

Larry Nelson, Dana Quigley, Tom Watson and Allen Doyle are among the players expected to challenge Irwin. Bruce Fleisher, the tour's leading money-winner and a three-time winner this year, is not playing following the death of his father earlier in the week.

Next week, the tour heads to Tennessee for the BellSouth Classic at Opryland, followed by a stop in Illinois for the Ameritech Senior Open, where Irwin again will defend.