JERICHO, New York (Ticker) -- Hubert Green picked the wrong time for his first miscue.

Green's only bogey of the day came on the final hole Saturday and dropped him into a tie with Hale Irwin atop the leaderboard after the second round of the $1.7 million Lightpath Long Island Classic.

On another hot day at the Meadow Brook Club course, Green took advantage of the ideal playing conditions and was at 8-under-par 63 through 17 holes.

At the par-3 18th, Green had a chance at tying the 6,840-yard course record, but he three-putted from 40 feet, missing the six-foot par putt. Green is at 11-under 131 entering Sunday's final round.

"I hit a good second putt on No. 18, it just didn't go in," he explained.

Green's miscue put a damper on a hot run over the back nine, where he had five birdies in eight holes to move to 12-under and atop the leaderboard.

The first-round leader and Senior PGA Tour money leader, Irwin had his second straight bogey-free round and carded a 4-under 67.

Positioned to win entering the final round is nothing new for Irwin, who has two wins this season and 34 in eight years on golf's elder circuit.

Meanwhile, Green has just three wins, none since the 2000 Kroger Classic.

"I'm playing pretty good now," said Green, whose best finish this season was a tie for second at the Senior Players Championship three weeks ago. "Hale plays good every week; I play good in spurts."

Tour rookie Morris Hatalsky fired a 65 and is one shot back. Two-time winner Bruce Fleisher carded a 67 and is two strokes behind.

Bob Gilder, who has won the last two weeks in playoffs, struggled to a 74 and is at 3-over 145, 14 shots off the lead.

Green, who shot a 67 on Friday, started strongly in the second round, chipping in from eight feet for a birdie on the par-5 first. He also converted birdie putts inside 12 feet on Nos. 4 and 6.

"I played very good solid golf today," Green said. "I'm driving the ball with more authority than I was before."

Green took the lead with consecutive birdies at Nos 14 and 15, the second on which he hit a 3-iron within 15 feet of the cup. He had his final birdie by sinking a putt from six feet at No. 17.

Playing four groups behind Green, Irwin caught him with a 10-foot birdie at the par-4 16th.

Irwin also had a chance for birdie at No. 17 but missed a putt from five feet - one of eight he failed to convert from within 10 feet.

Irwin, who had 14 birdie putts from inside 15 feet, described it as "one of his more exasperating rounds in a while."

"I had 14 birdie putts inside 15 feet and made only four of them," Irwin said. "I played well tee to green but didn't putt well.

Irwin has been tied for the lead entering the final round of 31 Senior events, winning 23.

"I thought I could put more space between myself and the field if I had just made some putts," he said.

The biggest surprise of the day had to be Hatalsky. A non-exempt player, Hatalsky is 16th on the money list and has been a runner-up three times in his first season on the tour.

"I'm enjoying golf more than I ever have," he said. "It's a chance to compete again with guys you grew up with."

Defending champion Bobby Wadkins shot a 68 and is at 3-under 139 overall, eight shots off the pace.