Overton takes lead with 65

This was one mulligan Jay Overton couldn't resist.

Given a reprieve by a rainout a day earlier, Overton shot a 7-under-par 65 Saturday to take the first-round lead in the Royal Caribbean Classic.

Overton was 3 over on the 18th hole Friday when rain shortened the tournament to 36 holes. His score didn't count, and he capitalized on Saturday with seven birdies in the first full-field event on the Senior PGA Tour.

``We caught a break,'' said Overton, who said he and playing partner Dick Mast were ``high-fiving'' each other when they learned that Friday's scores would be scrubbed and everyone would start over Saturday. ``This turned out to be a real fun round.''

Entering Sunday's final round, 19 players are within three shots of the lead.

Overton, who qualified for the tournament Monday, held a one-shot lead over Mast, Dana Quigley, two-time champion Bruce Fleischer, Bob Gilder and John Bland.

Tom Kite, who won the MasterCard Championship in Hawaii two weeks ago, led a group at 67 that included John Jacobs, Tom Purtzer, George Archer, Walter Hall and Sammy Rachels.

Tom Watson and defending champion Larry Nelson were among eight players at 68.

Purtzer and Fuzzy Zoeller made their senior your debuts Saturday. Zoeller shot a 71. He turned 50 in November and played in the Senior Skins Game last week, but this was his first full-field event.

Overton, a club pro at Innisbrook Resort near Tampa, played in seven tournaments last year as a rookie and finished 72nd on the money list.

Because he finished out of the top 50, Overton will need sponsor exemptions to avoid Monday qualifiers before tournaments.

``Some of us chose to pursue golf a little bit differently,'' said Overton, who has spent much of his career behind the scenes teaching and consulting. ``I'm living a dream -- a club professional who still plays with these guys.''

Overton, playing in the first group of the day, had three birdies in a four-hole stretch on the front nine to make the turn in 31. He capped his round with a birdie on the par-5 No. 18. The 65 was his best score since joining the senior tour.

Fleisher, the winner in 1999 and again in 2000, ran off four straight birdies on the back nine en route to a 5-under 32.

Quigley also heated up on the back nine with five birdies in a six-hole stretch to finish one shot out of the lead.

``I knew I had to get it in gear at the turn,'' Quigley said. ``In a two-day event, you have to make birdies. Hanging around par doesn't do much.''

Purtzer was as unlucky about Friday's washout as Overton was lucky. Purtzer was 4 under through 13 holes and in the lead when the rains came Friday, and none of it counted. Not to be denied, he responded Saturday with a 67 and would have been just one shot back were it not for his only mistake of the day, a three-putt bogey from 60 feet at the par-3 17th.

``What happened (Friday) was unfortunate,'' Purtzer said. ``I felt good and told myself to continue what I was doing.''

Email this page to a friend | Return to top of page