Stockton Hangs Tough, Trails O’Meara by One

After Dave Stockton had shot a 65 Thursday for a 1-stroke lead in the AT&T; Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he observed that Mark Calcavecchia wouldn’t be worried about his round.

Stockton, who is 47, was implying that younger pros on the Tour shouldn’t be concerned about his fast start.

They can start worrying any time now. Stockton came back Friday with a 2-under-par 70 at Cypress Point for a 2-day total of 135.

Even so, Stockton isn’t leading after 36 holes. That distinction belongs to Mark O’Meara, who had a 68 at Spyglass Hill, putting him a shot ahead of Stockton at 134.

Tom Kite, with a 70 at Spyglass, is alone at 137 and Jack Nicklaus, 49, who wasn’t even sure he could play in the tournament because of persistent back problems, is another shot off the pace at 138.

Nicklaus, who shot a 69 at Spyglass, is grouped with David Ogrin, Ted Schulz and Bernhard Langer.

“Coming here, if I thought I could break 75, I’d be the happiest guy in this camp,” Nicklaus said. “I didn’t think my body would hold together.”

His body has held together to shoot consecutive rounds of 69.

“It’s the best I’ve played to start off a golf tournament in quite a while,” said Nicklaus, who was particularly gratified with his score at Spyglass, regarded as the most demanding of the 3 courses used in this tournament.

Nicklaus said he couldn’t remember if he has ever broken 70 at Spyglass, saying, “It certainly is my best round here, even though it may not be my best score.”

Nicklaus first won here in 1967, when the tournament was known as the Bing Crosby Pro-Am. He won again in 1972 and 1973.

Stockton, who is playing with his son David, a member of the USC golf team, seemed mildly surprised that the leader board wasn’t more crowded at the top on a day that was slightly colder and windier than Thursday.

“I still can’t believe anyone else is doing nothing to speak of,” Stockton said.

Stockton had 5 birdies and 3 bogeys on his round and, when asked if he is gaining confidence, said:

“I’ve always been a front-runner. Maybe I’m a little too old, pretending to be a front-runner. But my putter doesn’t know how old I am.”

As for his round, he added: “If I make 9 birdies, as I did Thursday, and 5 more today, I don’t care if I make a couple of mistakes.

“And it’s good to have my son playing with me. He won’t let me make excuses, because he knows I can play.”

Stockton hasn’t won on the Tour since he was the PGA champion in 1976. He played in only 13 tournaments last year and was 206th on the money list, earning $14,846.

He has been handsomely rewarded financially with his corporate outings, however, and he has at least 90 such clinics planned this year.

“When I did my first corporate outing in 1967, I didn’t believe you can get paid that much for having so much fun,” he said.

Stockton, himself a former USC star golfer, regards himself as a motivator.

“The pro golfers don’t get the opportunity to meet people day in and day out,” Stockton said. “You’re dumb if you think all life is hitting a golf ball.”

Stockton reveres the traditional golf courses, such as Pebble Beach and Riviera, as compared to other layouts, which he considers rather dull.

“You have to play Pebble a few times to to know which shots you should be trying and where you can put the ball,” he said.

As for O’Meara, who attended Mission Viejo High School and Cal State Long Beach, he was satisfied with his round at Spyglass. He started his round on the 10th hole and was even-par after 9 holes.

“When I made the turn at 18, I thought I could be playing better,” he said. “But you don’t want to be greedy, because it’s a demanding course.”

O’Meara had 4 birdies coming in, 3 times hitting iron shots 5 or fewer feet from the hole.

“After I looked over the round, I had missed only 1 green,” said O’Meara, who used a new driver.

“It’s a heavier club, but I tended to hit it straighter,” he said.

O’Meara, who won here in 1985, played in a foursome that included actor Jack Lemmon, but he said he wasn’t distracted even when someone in the gallery would occasionally shout, “Hey, Jack.”

“It was like playing with your buddies back home,” O’Meara said, adding that he had enjoyed the round.

The second round was distinguished by 3 holes in one.

Tom Watson got his ace on the 15th at Spyglass with a 9-iron from 129 yards.

Gil Morgan used a 7-iron on No. 3 at Spyglass for his from 151 yards.

And Billy Mayfair got his at Pebble Beach on the 169-yard 17th hole. He used a 7-iron.

Nicklaus, who has spurned the option of a back operation, says that he now has a stretching program for about an hour in the morning and 45 minutes in the evening.

“I used to walk into the press room here and I would be asked, ‘How is your swing, how is your golf game?’ Now you guys ask me, ‘How’s your back, how’s your feet, how’s your head?”’

That evoked laughter from the reporters.

“Actually, my body feels great and my golf game is better. How’s that?” Nicklaus said.

For now, at least, Nicklaus and Stockton aren’t looking forward to the Senior Tour, as the younger players here are, perhaps, ruefully aware.

Golf Notes

Steve Jones, the defending champion, shot a 69 at Pebble Beach and is grouped with 5 other players at 140. . . . Jack Nicklaus and his son Steve are in a group of 7 tied at 130 in the pro-am, 3 strokes behind the lead. . . . . Ben Crenshaw is not enjoying his stay here with rounds of 78 and 77. . . . Mark Brooks and Bob Eastwood had the day’s best rounds, each shooting a 66.