GOLF / SENIOR PGA TOUR AT OJAI : Colbert Sets Record for 36 Holes

After threatening to run away with the $550,000 GTE Classic on Saturday, Jim Colbert ended up settling for a tour record for 36 holes.

Colbert, who tied the tournament record Friday with an eight-under-par 62 over the 6,190-yard Ojai Valley Inn & Country Club course, built a seven-shot lead but finished only four strokes ahead of Senior PGA champion Tom Wargo.

Colbert’s 64 gave him a 126 total. The previous record for 36 holes was 127, held by Colbert and two others.

Wargo birdied the last three holes to also shoot a 64 for a 130 total. Wargo was one stroke ahead of Jim Albus, who had a 66 to go with his opening 65. Another stroke back is Kermit Zarley, who eagled the par-five 18th for a 65.

Friday’s perfect weather deteriorated to cloudy and misty for the second round, and it obviously bothered Gene Littler and his healing shoulder.

Just as he predicted, Littler couldn’t follow up his opening round 65. His 70 was good enough to win the $14,500 first prize in the Vantage for the 60 and older group. But it left him nine shots behind Colbert and made it unlikely he’ll become the first to win the Vantage and the regular tournament.

Littler was still ahead of tournament favorites Al Geiberger and Dave Stockton.

Defending champion Geiberger, who also has a rotator cuff problem, is at 144. Stockton with a par 70, is at 136.

Even worse was Arnold Palmer. In front of the biggest gallery, he had early putting problems, then hit a series of poor shots to finish with a 77 after an opening 67.

Colbert bogeyed the first hole by three-putting from 25 feet, but he putted sensationally for the second consecutive round. He threatened to blow the tournament apart when he birdied six of seven holes beginning with the fourth hole.

He sank putts of 10 feet, five, 18, five, 20 and 15 for the birdie string. Then he barely missed a 12-footer and a 10-footer. His only birdie over the last eight holes was on a five-foot putt on 16.

Colbert is considered a great front-runner, but Wargo said he can be caught.

Said Colbert: “I would love to have that seven-shot lead, but I like being ahead whether it’s seven, four or one.

“I do think the damp weather made the greens a bit slower, but you have to really putt well because the greens are not immaculate as they were last year. These are a bit rough. They also are finding tough pin placements. A couple of them were almost off the green.”

Told that the forecast was for rain today, Colbert was asked if he planned to make any changes in the way he played.

“The only change I’ll make,” he said, “is if the last round is washed out. Then I’ll shake the man’s hand and accept the check.

“Seriously, I learned as a rookie on the regular tour that if your game isn’t flexible, you can’t be a winner. I learned that from Harold Henning when I played a shot in Oklahoma City. On a day when there was a big wind behind us, I used the same club I did the day before when it was calm. I used the two-iron to lay up, only the wind carried it into the woods. Henning used the driver and reached the green. He turned to me and said, ‘I don’t think your game is flexible.’ I never forgot it.”

Wargo, a club pro, barely made the 10th qualifying spot last year and startled everyone by winning the Senior PGA Championship, only his sixth tournament on the 50 and older tour.

Leaders

Through 36 holes at the Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club, Par 70 Player & Score

Jim Colbert: 62-64--126 Tom Wargo: 66-64--130 Jim Albus: 65-66--131 Kermit Zarley: 67-65--132 Charles Coody: 68-65--133 Bob Murphy: 67-66--133 Larry Laoretti: 65-68--133 Robert Gaona: 67-67--134 Dick Rhyan: 65-69--134