Saturday, October 6, 2001
[HAWAII GOLF]
3 thrive despite rain Don't expect anyone at the new Turtle Bay Resort to show any footage of yesterday's opening round of this week's Senior PGA Tour stop.
Jacobs, Gibson and Mauney
shoot 68s to lead the senior
event after the first roundBy Paul Arnett
parnett@starbulletin.comIf the wind didn't knock you off line, the rain pelting down in Biblical proportions left the old guys searching for equipment usually reserved for spring days in Florida, summer afternoons in Ohio and the winter months in California.
By early evening, the Arnold Palmer golf course that's hosting the $1.5 million Turtle Bay Championship was bathed in the kind of sun light only the island chain can produce. But by then, the 78 golfers in the field were in the clubhouse, trading war stories.
First-round leaders John Jacobs, Fred Gibson and Terry Mauney received extra pats on the back and drinks all around for not only surviving, but thriving in conditions usually reserved for a hurricane.
Jacobs shot a steady 68, while Mauney and Gibson had more flair for the dramatic en route to their 4-under efforts on the immaculate par-72, 7,088-yard course. Jacobs called the first few holes diabolical. Mauney likened himself to a mudder sloshing around a horse race track.
Gibson was so wet, he went straight to his hotel room, never to be heard or seen from again after shooting 36 on the front side and 32 on the back. Jacobs said his feet had never been so wet.
As defending champion Hale Irwin pointed out, mainland rain like yesterday is usually accompanied with thunder and lightning; two things that send golfers scurrying to the clubhouse in a hurry. But there was none of that in this typical tradewind storm, forcing the field to trudge on.
Irwin is part of a sixsome one stroke back at 69. The other five are Hubert Green, George Archer, Isao Aoki, Don Pooley and Dick Mast. In all, 33 golfers are within four shots of the lead entering this morning's early second round. The entire field will be on the course by 9:20 a.m. the next two days to accommodate a national broadcast on CNBC-TV.
Although the weather is expected to be clearer in the island chain the next two days, the winds could be gusting to 30 mph, which wreaks havoc on a professional's golf ball. Jacobs, who is still recovering from eye surgery that left him at 50 percent for most of the season, said the course played entirely different during yesterday's first round than during Thursday's Pro-Am.
"I made some nice putts the first five holes in the rain," said Jacobs, who carded five birdies and one bogey. ""It kind of cleared off for 10 holes or so, then it started blowing rain again. Those two birdies on 17 and 18 were big for me. I just hope I'm still talking to you guys on Sunday."
Jacobs knows there's still a lot of golf to be played. Irwin, who has represented Kapalua on Maui for many years, said the weather left most of the professionals scrambling for advice.
"This is a new golf course we're all still trying to sort out," Irwin said. "We're seeing what this weather and this course can throw at us. Considering what we're playing in and my sore wrist, I'm pleased with what I shot. I'm just happy to be in it."
So is Mauney, who described his round in two phases.
"On the front side there was lots of wind," Mauney said. "And then it rained hard on the back. The birdie I got on the 12th might have been the best one of the year for me. I followed it up with the best 5-iron I've hit all year to birdie the par-3 13th. You've got to be patient on a day like this. The course was tough."
Coming into one of the four final events of the year, top money winners Allen Doyle and Bruce Fleisher were also one-two in the Charles Schwab Cup that pays $1 million to the winner. Doyle, who led Fleisher by 149 points, shot a 73. Fleisher withdrew from the tournament Wednesday, citing exhaustion.