Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson hadn't played a competitive round of golf in a long time. No one could tell.
Nicklaus and Watson grabbed a share of the front-nine lead in the Champions Skins Game on Saturday, teaming for two skins to match defending champions Raymond Floyd and Dana Quigley at $60,000.
"Jack and Tom take a lot of time off but when they come back, it looks like they've been playing forever," Quigley said. "They don't lose a step it seems like.
"In my case, if I took the time off that these guys did, I don't think I could get it airborne," he said.
The duos of Arnold Palmer-Loren Roberts and Gary Player-Jay Haas were shutout in the four-team, alternate-shot event. With no one able to capture the last five skins, the par-4 10th will be worth six skins and $220,000 Sunday.
"You can add up all my first holes in my life, which are a lot. They're nowhere near $220,000," Quigley said. "This is uncharted territory."
With only $120,000 claimed on the front nine, there is still $650,000 left.
"The Skins event is the only event you play for money," Nicklaus said. "That is the factor of what you play for. Every other tournament, you play for a title and money comes with the title.
"It's an equally fun game. You're basically playing 18 tournaments."
Quigley, an 11-time winner on the Champions Tour, expects everyone to be extra warmed up and loose before Sunday's opening hole.
"You'll see a bunch of old men up on that practice tee early tomorrow morning trying to get the kinks out," Quigley said.
Nicklaus got his team on the board early, sinking a 4-foot birdie putt on the first hole to pick up $30,000. The sun-soaked crowed roared for the Golden Bear. Nicklaus also drained a birdie putt on the first hole last year.
His putt was setup by a solid second shot by Watson. Nicklaus paid his teammate back two holes later by hitting a wedge to 3 1/2 feet, setting up an easy birdie.
"We had chances every single hole," Nicklaus said. "We hit some nice putts. We hit some nice shots."
The two skins gave Nicklaus a record 89 -- 60 on the front nine.
Nicklaus, who will be 67 on Jan. 21, said he has all but abandoned playing golf, but his irons showed virtually no signs of rust. He and Watson were first in on five of the holes on the front nine, but were matched on Nos. 2, 7 and 8.
"I haven't had a golf score in a year and a half," Nicklaus said. "Since I holed out of St. Andrews (2005 British Open), I haven't had a golf score. But to come back and play these kind of events is fun."
With the second hole carried over, Quigley holed a 6-footer on the par-3 third for birdie to win two skins and $60,000. The putt was set up by a 5-iron shot by Floyd.
But Nicklaus-Watson won the next hole to regain a share of the lead.
The players were loose and laughing as they strolled around the Wailea Golf Club's Gold Course, a scenic layout that features ancient Hawaiian rock walls and 93 bunkers. The 6,833-yard course is built on the slopes of the dormant volcano Haleakala and has views of the rolling, green hills on one side and the Pacific Ocean on the other.
The eight invitees have combined to win 553 tournaments worldwide -- including 46 majors -- and nearly $104 million. Nicklaus alone has 18 major titles. Quigley, Roberts and Haas do not have any.
Roberts, who won four Champions Tour events last year, almost made a spectacular putt on No. 7 with three skins and $100,000 on the line. He waved his arms in the air and spun around after his 45-foot birdie try lipped the cup.
Player tapped in to halve the hole with Nicklaus-Watson.
The 51-year-old Roberts is the youngest of the group and is making his Skins debut along with Haas, the Champions Skins player of the year.
The 77-year-old Palmer was the crowd favorite and drew cheers with his surprising strong drive on No. 9.
"This gives me an opportunity to get my heart beating a little bit and have some fun," said Palmer, who won the event in 1990, '92 and '93.
Floyd had a chance to win the big money No. 9, but missed a 6-footer high and right.
"I read it beautifully, I just hit it too hard," said Floyd, who owns a record six Skins Game titles.
Haas sank a 5-foot putt for par and Roberts tapped in to halve the ninth hole.
Last year, Floyd made an 8-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole for nine skins and $410,000 to give him and Quigley a total of 10 skins and a record $510,000.
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