GOLF / SENIORS VINTAGE INVITATIONAL : Powell Learns Swing, Uses It to Lead

Jimmy Powell, a protege of former PGA tour player Mac O’Grady, held a two-stroke lead Friday after the first round of the $500,000 Vintage Arco Invitational.

Powell, who didn’t win until O’Grady taught him “the philosophy of the golf swing,” shot a six-under-par 66 over the 6,900-yard Mountain Course at the Vintage Club.

Twenty-three players broke par, including tournament favorite Lee Trevino, who shot a 69; and crowd favorite Arnold Palmer, who had a 71.

Former football star John Brodie, Walt Zembriski and Bobby Nichols shot 68s to tie for second place. Five were tied at 69, including Mike Hill and Al Geiberger.

Powell, a transplanted Texan, and Brodie, who shot a 67 in the first round last year, live in nearby La Quinta and often play with Trevino at the Citrus Club. Trevino plays out of Austin, Tex., but spends most of his spare time in the desert.

Powell, who has lived here off and on for 13 years, won only $27,000 on the regular PGA Tour. He then spent five years on the 50-and older tour with minimal results.

Last year, he won the Southwestern Bell in Oklahoma City and has contended since then in several other tournaments. He gives credit to O’Grady and a long-handled putter.

“It was Mac who got me started,” Powell said. “He showed me what’s supposed to happen with a golf club. He has developed a lot of long hitters on the regular tour. He knows what it’s all about.

“It’s no coincidence that I started to contend when I switched to the long putter. It’s not so important on long putts, but it is so much easier on three-, four-, five- and six-footers.

“I tell you one of these guys on the young tour will shoot in the 50s with it. I didn’t start using it until they made it legal. Now the kids are using it, and they will have some fabulous rounds.”

Harold Henning, who moves from long to short putter and back almost every round, watched Powell win at Oklahoma City.

“I’ll give you $1,000 (for the putter),” Henning said. “I’ll give you $2,000.”

Powell turned him down. Then, as golfers often do, he soured on the putter and sold it to Henning for $100, the price of his new putter.

“I tired of that putter,” Powell said. “Then, I noticed Henning wasn’t using the putter I sold him. I bought it back for $100. Then, I had a hot round and sank some putts, and Harold came up to me, offering $1,000 again.

“It’s not for sale. I was running the table with it today.”

The Vintage is a 54-hole tournament limited to 54 golfers instead of the normal field of 78. There were six--including host pro Kyle Burton--at par 72, which means more than half the field came in at par or better.

Trevino was playing a so-so first round when he came to the last hole, a 503-yard par-five. It was downwind, and Trevino reached the green in two shots. He sank a 10-footer for the eagle that brought him into contention.

“When Trevino is here,” Zembriski said, “he’s the one you fear. He’s strictly the one to beat.”

Brodie has yet to win. He joined the older group in 1985 and has played well at times, but has lacked consistency. He lost exempt status last year, then received an invitation to this tournament. After his opening-round 67, he wound up tied for ninth, his best finish, and regained exempt status by finishing third in the qualifying school.

“I have not made any drastic changes,” said Brodie, who played quarterback for Stanford and the San Francisco 49ers. “But I have shown steady improvement. I have been under 70 in four of my last five rounds. I wouldn’t be out here if I hadn’t shown improvement. The golfers out here are two or three shots better than they were a couple of years ago.”

Palmer was two under par until he tried a long drive to reach No. 18 in two shots. He pushed the ball into the fairway trap on the right, then had to lay up. He three-putted from above the hole for double bogey.