International Golf Tournament : 5 Birdies on Final 6 Holes Help Norman Advance to Second Round

Greg Norman, facing elimination, birdied five of his last six holes and advanced through first-round play Wednesday in the International golf tournament.

Norman, the dominant figure in golf last year but a non-winner this season, was running out of holes when he sank a 12-foot birdie putt on the 13th.

He had tap-ins of less than a foot for birdies on the next two holes, then saved his day with a brilliant, hooked 6-iron shot around a hill on the par-5 17th. He’d driven in the hazard there but got onto the green with the third shot from the rough and made an 18-foot birdie putt.

He finished with 7 points on the cool, cloudy day, a sharp contrast from the sweltering heat experienced at the last two stops on the PGA Tour.

“After making double bogey on the ninth, I gave myself a very stern talking-to,” Norman said. “I told myself, ‘you’ve got the ability to make four birdies on the back. Just go ahead and do it’.”

Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson and U.S. Open champion Scott Simpson also were among the 39 players who advanced into Friday’s second round under the modified Stableford scoring system used in this event.

Scoring is based on a player’s performance on each hole. Five points are awarded for an eagle, three for a birdie, zero for a par, minus-one for a bogey and minus-three for double bogey or higher.

Nicklaus had 12 points, Watson and Simpson 7 each.

Another 81 players, again competing for 39 places, will complete first-round play today. Leading money-winner Paul Azinger, Ray Floyd and Fuzzy Zoeller are among today’s players. The field will be reduced daily thereafter until 18 compete for the $180,000 first prize.

The official purse is $1 million. Another $100,000 in early-round prize money was added this year.

With $25,000 distributed each of the first four days, “we have something to play for. It keeps your concentration,” said Chip Beck, who led Wednesday’s scorers with 13 points on a medal score of 66.

He won $10,000. Nicklaus and Dick Mast, who tied for second with 12 each, won $6,250 apiece. Tim Simpson collected $2,500 for the 11 points that put him fourth among the day’s scorers.

Defending champion Ken Green just made it to the next round with 5 points.

Isao Aoki of Japan, Johnny Miller and two-time U.S. Open champion Hale Irwin were among those who failed to advance.