Old Man Watson Tops Skins
Tiger Woods, who as a 7-year-old watched Tom Watson on TV playing in the first Skins Game, got a closeup look at Watson winning skins on Saturday - and also got one of his own.
“How old are you?” Woods asked, whispering, after Watson won $100,000 in Saturday’s first day of the 1996 Skins Game in La Quinta, Calif.
“Forty-seven,” Watson replied.
“Twice as old as me?” Woods said, not quite hearing the answer.
“More than twice as old,” Watson corrected.
And, after the opening nine holes of the competition, more than twice as rich for the day.
Woods, the 20-year-old called by Watson the tour’s next Jack Nicklaus, did win one hole, worth two skins, to earn $40,000.
Watson made a 10-foot birdie putt to win $20,000 on the first hole, then rolled in a 12-footer for another birdie worth $80,000 on No. 8.
Woods won his money with a tap-in for a birdie on No. 5 after Fred Couples had won $40,000 with a tap-in birdie on the third hole at Rancho La Quinta Country Club.
John Daly, although he outdrove the long-hitting Woods on almost every hole, couldn’t putt, missing six birdie tries of varying length and finishing without winning a hole.
Watson, perhaps playing mind games before the event, had said all week that he was going to be a spectator, watching and admiring the long hitters and being “an old dog just hoping to get a bone on Sunday.”
After Saturday’s play, the other three shook their heads as Watson continued to talk about his shortcomings.
“I’m tired of hearing about him just being a spectator,” Couples said, grinning. “The guy’s a great player and he played great.”
Woods, who won two of the seven tour events he played in after turning pro three months ago, looked calm and composed in his Skins Game debut.
“It was more than I ever expected,” he said. “I never saw so many people following one group. People had to leapfrog holes to be able to see. It was exciting.
“Basically, it’s just like going out there with your buddies and playing for some cash. These guys are all friends of mine.”
With the chance of realizing a weekend golfer’s dream, making a 10-foot putt for $1 million in the Gillette Putting Challenge, corrections officer Kirk Bryson of Delray Beach, Fla., didn’t choke. But he did miss. Bryson, 63, stroked the putt firmly but it slid by the left side of the cup in an event held after the first round of the Skins Game. He still received a consolation prize of $50,000.
Price, Woosnam tied for lead
Nick Price of Zimbabwe collected eight birdies en route to a 6-under-par 66 and a first-place tie with Ian Woosnam of Wales after three rounds of the Million Dollar Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.
Both Price and Woosnam, who was 5-under at the turn and finished at 67 for the day, are bidding to win golf’s richest first prize - $1 million - for a second time. They were at 12-under 204 and held a one-shot lead over U.S. Open champion Steve Jones, who also fired a 67.
Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, the leader after 36 holes, shot a 70 and was at 206.
Three tied for Norman Classic lead
Australian Peter Senior shot a 3-under-par 69 to join American Jerry Kelly and New Zealander Michael Long for a share of the third-round lead at 211 in the Greg Norman Holden Classic in Melbourne, Australia. Norman carded a 69 to move to two shots off the pace.