1995 77th PGA / RIVIERA : The FRONT NINE

A look at golf’s frontside, the stories you expect to read.

IF IT’S LARRY H. PARKER, IT’S A $2.1-MILLION PGA

Jay Haas hit a 32 on the back, a 32 on the front and a lawyer in between.

On the 13th hole Saturday, Haas said, “I hit some guy in the arm on my second shot, and [the ball] dropped down to the right of the green. And I chipped that to about six feet and made the putt.”

Did he speak to the guy?

“Oh, definitely, several times, yeah. He said he was a lawyer.

“I don’t know. I haven’t received any bill yet.”

COMPLAINT DEPT.

Riviera is taking much abuse as a major championship venue this week, and the scores in the PGA invite even more, but Duffy Waldorf reminds that the golf course isn’t the key to a major.

“It’s the field,” said Waldorf, who says that Riviera is actually easier this week than it usually is for a Los Angeles Open. “The field makes a major. You put this same field at Rancho Park, and it would still be a major.”

Jack Nicklaus on the same subject:

“What was the reason for rebuilding Riviera? Well, if it isn’t broke, don’t fix it.”

And then there was Peter Jacobsen.

“I would say they need to go back to the drawing board,” he said. “What hurts me personally is that players like Ernie Els or a Michael Campbell or a Greg Norman, or the player that doesn’t see this course year in and year out, sees this and rolls his eyes and says, ‘Oh man, how can they call this a major championship?’

“Well, it is. It is. I think what happened is the world of golf has been cheated out of being able to see what is truly one of the most spectacular courses in the country, in the world, because of a problem on the greens.

“That’s too bad.”

IT WAS THIS CLOSE

Hale Irwin weighed in with this story. “On Thursday, I hit the cup right on the lip and it left a huge hole,” Irwin said.

“Then I looked at the grass around it and the length of the roots. They were about like this,” he said holding his thumb and forefinger up, leaving perhaps a quarter-inch.

HOLES OR MANHOLES?

Haas had 21 putts, two-putting only three holes during his 64, the day’s low score.

“Probably the least amount of putts I’ve ever had in a round. Basically, I didn’t miss a putt inside 20 feet.”

Playing partner Nicklaus said: “I think he holed every putt he looked at.”

Nicklaus also was “kind of laughing at me,” Haas added, from all the chips Haas kept leaving himself. Haas said, “When I was making all these ups- and-downs, he said, ‘Why don’t you try hitting a couple of greens?’

“And then I did, and made a couple of birdies. He said, ‘That’s the way you’re supposed to do it.’ ”

WALRUS SIGHTING

After a second consecutive 66, Craig (the Walrus) Stadler stayed within striking distance of the leaders.

He said, “I’ve got some confidence going. I think I’ve gotten better in each round so far.”

But can Els be caught?

“It’s up to somebody who can go out tomorrow and shoot 62 or 63,” Stadler said. “Or, he [Els] might have to bobble a little bit.”

Stadler is paired today with Steve Elkington.

That’s right: The Walrus and the Elk.

BRITISH OPEN REPEAT?

Costantino Rocca, whose 66-foot birdie putt on the final regulation hole of the British Open forced a playoff with John Daly, had a chip of almost the same length on 18 Saturday. In a near replay, he just missed.

NOT JUMBO, NOT JET--JOE

Ozakimania? Uh, no. But a bogey-free 65 by Naomichi (Joe) Ozaki did make his audience grow.

Ozaki said, “The gallery began growing around No. 10. More and more people came and I even got nervous on a few of the tees.”

Youngest of the golfing Ozaki brothers, Joe, 39, has won two dozen tournaments in Japan but is winless on the PGA Tour.

After Saturday’s round he said, “It has been a long time since I played this well in America.”

WHAT’S A MOTTO WITH HIM?

The visor and shirt of Ozaki bore the emblems: Joe Is Aiming at Being a Professional With Active and Savor.

Asked what it meant, Ozaki laughed and said: “It means Joe is wonderful player!”

No, really. What’s it mean?

Ozaki’s translator, Bob Turner, said: “Joe says it would take too long to explain.”