Jim Dent doesn't
want to hear that his odds of winning the $1.5 million Vantage Championship are
not very good, especially after shooting an opening-round 63 today.
The 60-year-old Dent, using a new set of irons, had eight birdies and one bogey
in his 7-under-par round -- his best of the season -- to lead four others by two
shots at Tanglewood Park.
Bruce Fleisher, who has won five times in his rookie season and finished second
another five times, was in the group at 5-under 65. He is joined by Bob Duval,
Tom Jenkins and Gary McCord.
Dent's sensational 18 holes matched Dave Stockton's 63 in 1994 for the best opening
round in the 13-year history of this Senior PGA Tour event.
Dent is winless this season, but has a streak of five straight years of at least
one victory. He scoffed at the fact only eight of the 585 senior tournaments have
been won by players 60 or older.
"I
don't know what 60 feels like or I would tell you," Dent said. "I feel the same
as if I were 28. What does 60 mean? Am I supposed to be in a wheelchair or you
can't walk or somebody is leading you around?"
Dent has had his share of success on this par-70, 6,600-yard layout, coming in
second twice and third twice during a four-year span from 1991-94.
"There is just something about
this course that fits me," Dent said. "There are 14 driving holes here and 10
of those fit my eye. I don't care how you're playing, you can put the ball in
the fairway."
After
he parred his first two holes, Dent birdied four of the next seven to make the
turn at 31. After going to 5-under on No. 11, he lost a shot on the 14th hole
before rallying with three birdies down the stretch.
Three of Dent's birdies were one-foot tap-ins. He also holed out a bunker shot
for birdie on No. 9.
"That
was the day's highlight," Dent said of his shot from the bunker.
Fleisher, second on the money list behind Hale Irwin, closed with a 31 on the
back nine, knocking in four birdie putts of 12 feet or closer.
Fleisher, $82,000 behind Irwin as the season draws to a close, said he's been
preoccupied with the money race recently. He tried to convince himself to relax
today and just have fun.
"Absolutely,
possibly too much," Fleisher said when asked if he thinks about the money race
with Irwin. "I hear a lot from my wife that I'm not having fun and I'm putting
a lot of undue pressure on myself.
"It
has been such a wonderful year, no one is probably ever satisfied," Fleisher added.
"It's like getting your first kiss, 'Is that all there is?' "
Gil Morgan, the defending champion who has won two of the last three weeks, got
to 4-under on the 17th hole, but dropped a shot at No. 18 to finish four shots
behind Dent.
Irwin
had an even-par 70 to extend his streak of par rounds or better to 25 straight,
two shy of the Senior PGA Tour record. However, Irwin saw his string of 12 consecutive
rounds in the 60s here end.
