As DeWitt Weaver walked with Arnold Palmer down the slope toward the ninth green last week, a crowd of 35,000 was waiting for them, hoping for just a glimpse of one of golf's all-time greats.

It was the most amazing sight Weaver has ever seen. One week later, he's still inspired by it.

After dunking his drive on the 16th hole, Weaver came back with a near-ace and a birdie on the 17th today to finish in a three-way tie with David Graham and Jose Maria Canizares in the Ameritech Senior Open.

"I think some of that's carried over," Weaver said of his round last week with Palmer in the U.S. Senior Open. "I'll be 60 in September and I don't think I've ever played as good as I'm playing now."

Weaver, Graham and Canizares all shot 5-under 67 in the first round of the $1.3 million tournament at Kemper Lakes. Bruce Fleisher, the senior tour's money leader, was tied with Dale Douglass and John Mahaffey one stroke back at 68.

Defending champion Hale Irwin ran into trouble with four bogeys and finished six strokes off the lead with a 1-over 73. Jerry McGee, playing in his first tournament since undergoing surgery for throat and mouth cancer in March, shot a 44 on the back nine and is 11 strokes back at 78.

"It's a very, very emotional week," McGee said. "I'm definitely happy to be back."

Weaver, who started three hours after Graham and Canizares, came on strong with birdies on Nos. 11, 13 and 14. But he ran into trouble on the par-4 16th when he put his tee shot in the water, and had to settle for bogey.

He came right back on the 17th, the same hole on which he had a hole-in-one in 1996. Using a 6-iron, his drive was perfect, landing less than 2 feet from the cup. Weaver knew it was good as soon as he hit it, breaking into a huge smile.

He had a chance to take the lead by himself on the par-4 18th, but he got a little too excited. He crushed his drive, sending it over the fairway and cart path onto a small mound of grass by the grandstands.

"I guess we should have figured in the adrenaline factor," Weaver said to his caddy as he walked off the tee.

His second shot hit the green, but it bounced a couple times and rolled off into the short grass on the left side. He chipped on, getting within 6 feet of the hole, and then made the putt for par.

"I had a great time out there today. I enjoyed every shot, even the one that went into the water," said Weaver, whose best finish this season is a tie for fourth. "It was a wonderful day. Every day is, but today was a little special."

Graham, winner of the 1979 PGA Championship and the 1981 U.S. Open, was at 6-under after making a 10-foot putt on No. 16th. But his tee shot on 17 landed in a bunker, and he two-putted for bogey.

Still, after the troubles he's had this season, he was plenty happy with the round. He's had just one top-10 finish this season, and he missed the cut in last weekend's Open.

He got new shafts on all of his irons this week, and the change showed. He picked up birdies by chipping to within 3 feet on No. 4, and then chipping in on No. 5. On the par-5 No. 7, his 5-iron got him on the green in two, and he two-putted for birdie to go 4-under.

"I've struggled with my game the last month, month-and-a-half, so today was very positive," he said. "I've worked hard on my game, I've practiced very hard on my game and I've kept a good, positive attitude. But there's no question I haven't played up to my usual standards."

Canizares, who has had three top-10 finishes in his last four tournaments, had birdies on Nos. 3, 4 and 7, including an impressive chip shot on the par-5 fourth that landed a yard from the cup. He went to 5-under with a birdie on the par-4 14th and could have picked up a couple of additional strokes, but he didn't have much luck putting.

His 15-foot birdie putt on No. 16 stopped an inch short, and his 8-footer on No. 17 missed by six inches.

"All year I've played very steady. I've hit the ball good and I've hit some nice shots," Canizares said. "I will try for a win here."

AP