It’s a Rocky Start at Rancho : Senior golf: Thompson shoots 65 for one-shot lead over Aycock, Kelley and McBee. Trevino at 67.

The first round of the $600,000 Ralphs Senior Classic was one for the graduates.

Rocky Thompson shot a six-under-par 65 and took a one-shot lead in the first round of the 54-hole tournament Friday at Rancho Park. At 66 were three other lesser-known golfers in the 50-and-older group, Tommy Aycock, Al Kelley and Rives McBee.

The big names are trailing, but not by much. Leading money winner Lee Trevino, despite a painful left thumb, Gary Player, Isao Aoki and Mike Hill are in a group at 67, four under and two shots back. Another shot behind are Chi Chi Rodriguez and Raymond Floyd. Jim Colbert is at 69.

Arnold Palmer, still the gallery favorite, shot a four-over 75 after turning in a 66 Thursday in the pro-am. Defending champion John Brodie shot 72.

But opening day over the lush 6,307-yard course, belonged to four golfers who had to struggle to make the senior tour.

Thompson, Aycock and Kelley are graduates of the qualifying school, and McBee had to qualify on Mondays until he became the first of that bunch to win a tournament, the RJR Bank One Classic in 1990.

McBee is a three-time winner and Thompson, who led the qualifiers in 1989, has won twice. Kelley, a six-year tour player, has never won. His claim to fame is having played more rounds, 108, than any other senior in 1991.

Aycock, the No. 2 driver on the tour with a 274-yard average, is a non-winning rookie with an unusual story.

Until last year, Aycock was a club pro in south Texas. He was earning $62,000 a year and had no desire to be anything but a teacher. He knew the about the senior tour, but gave it no more than a passing thought.

Then came the jolt. The club he was working for--he wouldn’t use its name--decided he was making too much money and wanted him to take a $47,000 cut, suggesting he could supplement his income with higher lesson fees. He declined.

“I decided to spend the year working on my game,” he said. “I sharpened my game and tied for the best score in qualifying school.”

This is his 28th tournament. He has won more than $165,000, so he figures the club did him a favor. His best finish was a third at Newport, R.I., in late July.

“This has been a complete change of life,” he said. “I never left Texas. Now I have learned to adjust. I knew I could hit with anyone and now I feel I can putt with them, too. Last week at Napa, I was paired with Bob Charles on the last round. He shot a 63 and is the best putter I ever saw. I learned something.”

It was Aycock’s putting that led to five birdies and an eagle and put him in contention. He sank two 15-footers and a 10-footer.

Thompson is another long hitter. He was so engrossed in a couple of 300-yard drives, in fact, that he didn’t realize he had a shot at the lead.

“I don’t look at the leader board, but there are so many on this course,” he said. “I sank the eight-footer on 18 to go six under, looked at the board and realized I was leading.”

Probably nobody was more satisfied with his round, though, than Trevino. Two weeks ago, his thumb was so painful he thought his season was over. But he made 17 birdies in three rounds at Napa and seven more Friday.

“I have to be careful and not over-swing,” Trevino said. “I’m swinging at about 80%. If I really try to swing hard, the thumb hurts every time. I just can’t bust the ball.”

Trevino said he was surprised at the condition of Rancho with its heavy fairways and difficult rough.

“I spent a couple of days preparing to play bump-and-run,” he said. “That would have been to my advantage. Instead, you have to hit it high and it’s holding. I’ve never seen the course in such great shape. But it’s to my disadvantage.”

With every tournament, it is expected that Floyd will take charge of the senior tour. But it hasn’t happened yet. His putting is not sharp, said Floyd, who will play against the top players on the regular PGA Tour next week in the richest tournament, the Tour Championship.

“I don’t prepare any differently,” Floyd said. “But it doesn’t make any difference what tour you’re on, if you can’t putt, you can’t win.

“I’m just not playing Ray Floyd golf. Maybe the pressure of not putting well is affecting the rest of my game. I find myself thinking I have to reach the par-fives in two. I finished three under because I had birdies on all four of the fives.

“I keep getting the feeling that I’m on the verge of a breakthrough.”

Although Palmer had the biggest gallery, it was bad day for him. On the first hole, he broke the driver that helped him shoot his 66 Thursday.

“It was just one of those terrible days right from the start,” Palmer said with a shake of his head.

Bert Yancey used a 3-iron for a hole-in-one on the 196-yard, par-3 third hole. Yancey’s ace was the first in the three years this event has been played.

Scores

First-round scores at the $600,000 Senior Classic at Rancho Park: Player: Total Rocky Thompson: 33-32--65 Tommy Aycock: 35-31--66 Al Kelley: 33-33--66 Rives McBee: 33-33--66 J.C. Snead: 35-32--67 Gay Brewer: 35-32--67 Mike Hill: 33-34--67 Lee Trevino: 34-33--67 Isao Aoki: 33-34--67 Gary Player: 33-34--67 12 are tied at 68