Tom Watson made
a successful debut on the Senior PGA Tour today, joining four others atop the
Comfort Classic leaderboard at 6-under-par 66.
Six days after turning 50, Watson overcame crosswinds to grab a share of the lead
with Bobby Stroble, Bob Eastwood, Jim Dent and Gary McCord.
Jim Barker, Terry Dill, Tom Jenkins, Gil Morgan, Dave Stockton and Fred Gibson
shot 67s. Twenty-two players, including defending champion Hugh Baiocchi, were
within five shots of the lead. Baiocchi, who finished the 1998 tournament with
a record 20-under score, shot 70 today.
The admittedly nervous Watson was even par after five holes before going on a
birdie binge to turn at 4-under. He added two birdies on the back side, including
a 10-footer on No. 18.
"I
started off thinking I was not going to have a good round," he said.
Watson cheered himself and the biggest portion of the gallery by turning near
disaster into a birdie on the par-4 eighth hole. He hooked a 2-iron off the tee
and the ball skipped along the rough near a stream, but stayed out of the water.
Watson hit a 6-iron from there to 12 feet and made the putt.
"There
was not much tension left in my body after that," said Watson, who adjusted his
swing after blading an approach shot over the green on No. 3, resulting in a bogey.
"From then on, it was pretty easy."
Dent made it look even easier for awhile, dipping to 8-under through 16 holes.
With a chance to equal the course record of 63, Dent bogeyed Nos. 17 and 18, three-putting
the final hole after hitting his approach well above the pin.
"Course
records are for young, inexperienced guys who want records. I didn't want the
course record. I want the (winner's) check," said Dent, who bogeyed No. 2 before
scoring birdies on the next four holes to start his run.
McCord, the affable TV golf commentator who eagled the par-4 14th hole with 62-foot
putt, appreciated Dent's late struggles.
"Jim,
being as nice a guy as he is, came back to us and let everybody else back in the
tournament," McCord said.
Hale Irwin, Bruce Fleisher, Allen Doyle and Larry Nelson, the top four money-winners
on the senior tour, are skipping this event, but Watson said that made little
difference.
"These
guys can flat play," said Watson, who needed just 26 putts after hitting 12 of
14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens. "I wanted that putt on 18. It's always nice to
be in the lead."
