Three share lead after first day

Walter Hall failed four times to make the PGA Tour in the 1970s and worked as a sales manager for an appliance distributor before turning pro again in 1994.

Now in his third full season on the Senior PGA Tour, Hall played his way into a three-way tie for the lead with Larry Nelson and Bruce Summerhays after today's first round of the SBC Senior Open at Kemper Lakes Golf Club.

"I'm living a dream out here,'' Hall said. "I was a regular tour wannabe. Obviously, this is a great big mulligan.''

His 4-under-par 68 continued a recent trend of strong play and was his 10th straight round of par or better.

"I feel like my game has been coming around for the last month,'' said Hall, who turns 53 Monday. ``And I'm putting awfully well. You've got to make putts out here because all the good players are making putts.''

Hall had three birdies on the front nine and followed both of his bogeys on the back side with birdies, including a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

But Hall said he won't put any additional pressure on himself as he tries for his first Senior PGA Tour victory.

"I know that when it's my turn to win, it will happen,'' he said. ``I've had some opportunities to win. If I just keep putting myself in position, sooner or later maybe lightning will strike.''

Summerhays started with birdies on Nos. 1 and 3 and holed an 80-foot putt for eagle on No. 4.

"It started out wonderfully,'' Summerhays said. "I haven't made an 80-footer in a long time.''

Birdies on Nos. 7 and 8 gave Summerhays, who hasn't won a senior event since 1998, a 6-under 30 at the turn. But Summerhays said he had trouble with the wind on the back nine, and he settled for bogeys on the 10th and 15th holes.

"The wind on that backside seemed to be crazy,'' Summerhays said. "But we're in the 'Windy City' -- we need to expect that.''

Nelson fired a 31 on the back nine to make up for a 1-over-par 37 on the front. A chip-in for eagle on the 11th ignited Nelson, who birdied three of the final four holes.

"The eagle at 11 turned the round around,'' Nelson said. ``It turned a bad round into a good one. It gave me a lot of momentum.''

The 4-under 68 was Nelson's seventh straight sub-par round at Kemper Lakes.

Kermit Zarley made five birdies in a seven-hole stretch to move to 5-under after 10 holes, but bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17 to finish one stroke behind the leaders at 3-under, along with Bruce Fleisher.

Gil Morgan, Graham Marsh, John Morgan and Stewart Ginn each finished with 70.

Hale Irwin, who has won the last two tournaments here and three of the last five, finished at even par, snapping a streak of 19 straight sub-par scores.

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