Saturday, January 23, 1999
Jacobs looking
good at Hualalai
Two weeks after eye surgery,
By Bill Kwon
his 64 ties the course record at
the Sr. PGA Championship
Star-BulletinHUALALAI -- John Jacobs has his sights on winning -- literally.
A wsinner on the Senior PGA Tour for the first time last year to qualify for the MasterCard Championship, Jacobs tied a course record in shooting an 8-under-par 64 to take a three-stroke lead over Ray Floyd and Isao Aoki going into today's second round at the Hualalai Resort Golf Course.
It was also a record first-round score in the 16-year history of the Senior Tour's tournament of champions.
Not bad for someone who had laser surgery on both eyes to correct nearsightedness just two weeks ago.
"I can see breaks I've never seen before," said Jacobs, who will turn 54 next month. "I think it has helped. I had worn contacts for 35 years."
You could also say Jacobs is enjoying the 7,053-yard Hualalai course sight unseen.
"I've never played here before, but I've drank here before," he said, referring to the time in the early 1980s when he won a pro-am at Mauna Kea up the highway from here.
Jacobs posted four birdies on each side in putting together nines of 32-32.
"I really had fun out there. The fairways and the greens are magnificent. It's like we were the first ones ever to play the course," he said.
"I was hoping to play well, but 64 is a bonus," said Jacobs, who put away his clubs and gave away his golf bag after his last competitive round of golf last November.
Of course, improved vision isn't the only reason Jacobs, who had a breakthrough victory in the Nationwide Championship, is on top of the leaderboard ahead of Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan, who've practically been making the over-50 circuit their private domain.
Jacobs has led the Senior Tour in driving distance the last two years, and Hualalai is a long-hitter's course, as George Archer lamented.
"Don't listen to George," Jacobs said. "The wind makes the course long. If there was no wind out here, this would not be a long course."
Well, it wasn't exactly calm yesterday as the wind picked up later in the day when the players were on the more exposed, treeless front nine. Still, 22 players in a field of 35 bettered par 72 -- even Archer, who was in a five-way tie at 68 with Irwin, J.C. Snead, Joe Inman and Bob Dickson.
Morgan, the defending champion, finished at 3-under 69 and was joined by Simon Hobday and Buddy Allin, who made the biggest comeback of the day, overcoming a double-bogey 7 on the opening hole, the 566-yard 10th.
Morgan, who went on to win last year with a record 21-under 195 for 54 holes, and Gibby Gilbert previously held the low opening round of 65 that was erased by Jacobs.
Jacobs might have his eyes focused on Morgan's 54-hole record as well. He birdied three of the four par-5 holes. "They're friendly. Rewarding, if you hit it well," he said.
But he also displayed a deft touch, birdieing both par-3s on the back nine, using a 9-iron to stick the 167-yard 12th and the 164-yard signature 17th by the ocean.
Aoki did Jacobs one better by birdieing all four of the par-5s to join Floyd in a tie for second. Like Jacobs, Aoki didn't know what to expect, not having played for five weeks before missing the cut in the Sony Open last week. A sore back muscle added to his anxiety. "Also, happy new year. Too much drinking," said the 1983 Hawaiian Open winner.
Floyd, who'll hang around on the Kailua-Kona Coast to defend his Senior Skins Game title next week at Mauna Lani, need didn't improved eyesight to see the light at the end of the tunnel for his golf game.
Because of a hip problem, he had a lot of bad habits ingrained in his swing, according to Floyd. A tip from his 77-year-old father, L.B., got him to quit swinging with his upper body only.
"Boy, I can see a heckuva difference," he said after making the adjustment. He had it going to six-under with five holes to go before he suffered a costly double-bogey 7 at the 538-yard seventh hole that plays into the wind.
"I hit two bad shots, back to back," said Floyd, who put his second shot with a 3-wood into the lava fields that surround the course. "Other than that, I played very well. Everything seems to be falling into place. It's very nice talking to you (the media) after the first round of the year," he said.
The elite field -- the largest ever since winners of the past two years and senior majors within the last five years are now eligible -- started on the 10th hole so that ESPN could televise live the more scenic, ocean-side back nine of the 7,053-yard course as a lead-in to the Bob Hope Desert Classic.
The final round is set for tomorrow with the winner collecting $185,000.
MasterCard Championship
At Hualalai Golf Resort
First round
Par 72
John Jacobs, 32-32--64
Ray Floyd, 35-32--67
Isao Aoki, 33-34--67
J.C.Snead, 34-34--68
Hale Irwin, 33-35--68
Bob Dickson, 34-34--68
George Archer, 36-32--68
Joe Inman, 34-34--68
Bud Allin, 35-34--69
Simon Hobday, 34-35--69
Gil Morgan, 36-33--69
Dave Eichelberger, 35-35--70
Dana Quigley, 37-33--70
Jay Sigel, 36-34--70
Gary Player, 35-35--70
Bruce Crampton, 35-36--71
Tom Weiskopf, 36-35--71
Jim Dent, 34-37--71
Lee Trevino, 36-35--71
Bruce Summerhays, 34-37--71
Leonard Thompson, 35-36--71
Hugh Baiocchi, 39-32--71
Jim Colbert, 36-35--71
Bob Murphy, 37-35--72
Dave Stockton, 35-37--72
David Graham, 35-38--73
Brian Barnes, 35-38--73
Vicente Fernandez, 39-35--74
Gibby Gilbert, 38-36--74
Graham Marsh, 37-37--74
Jim Albus, 37-37--74
Larry Ziegler, 36-38--74
Bob Eastwood, 39-36--75
Larry Nelson, 36-39--75
Hubert Green, 41-35--76
