Rinker Uses Survival Instincts at Hope but Knows He's Not Safe

By JIM HODGES

Jan. 16, 1997 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

INDIAN WELLS —

Once upon a time a younger and more foolish Larry Rinker found himself in contention in a PGA Tour event.

No big deal, he said. Another golf tournament.

In December, an older and wiser Rinker found himself at La Purisima Golf Club in Lompoc, Calif., struggling in the PGA Tour’s qualifying school tournament.

Big, big deal, he said. It’s only his life. And some rain is helping him live it.

On Wednesday, a chastened and more experienced Rinker found himself at nine-under-par 63, leading the Bob Hope Classic by one shot over Steve Jones and Mark Calcavecchia.

Huge deal, he said. “It’s great to shoot a low round, but there’s a lot more work to be done.”

Four more rounds of work.

The important thing is he will be allowed to try to do it. Until December, there was serious doubt.

Rinker was rolling along on his tour career, winning only an unofficial event--the JCPenney in 1985, with his sister, LPGA Tour player Laurie--and enough money to stay in the top 125 on the money list--barely--and eligible to play--barely.

Then, in each of the last two years, there was not enough money, and Rinker was reduced to letter-writing for sponsors’ exemptions to get into PGA Tour events and playing on the Nike Tour when exemptions weren’t granted.

Hence, Q-school, a three-stage process that finishes with a six-round meat-grinder of a tournament. The top 40 players get cards to play for fame and fortune on the PGA Tour next season.

The rest find another job, or, at best, another place to play and lick their wounds out of the limelight.

Rinker is a three-time veteran of qualifying school and understands its penal quality.

“This league is tough,” he said of the tour. “[But] you definitely have next week out here, whereas at the qualifying school it’s not next week, it’s next year.

“This is where the best players are, and it’s where you go chase your dreams.”

And Q-school is where you are chased by a nightmare. Rinker was almost caught. He was two under par through five rounds and figured that it would take par to make the cut and be one of the 40 to get their cards.

In the sixth round, in the rain at La Purisima, he started with a par, then a double bogey. He was back to par, with 16 holes to play.

“I figure I was right on the bubble,” he said. “I couldn’t feel safe.”

And then it poured. The round was washed out and he was tied for 21st and on the tour for another year.

Wednesday’s round was his first of the season, and it featured 10 birdies and a bogey at par-72 Bermuda Dunes, one of the more forgiving layouts in the Hope rotation.

There was a pretty good hint early that he had a something special going. Starting on the 10th hole, he made a par, then reeled off five birdies in a row, making putts of from one to 20 feet.

He finished with three consecutive birdies, but at day’s end found himself ahead by only one shot after his best round since shooting a 63 at Sunrise in Las Vegas, where he found fame fleeting.

“I held the course record for a day,” he said. “The next day, Chip Beck shot a 59.”

His mission here involves more birdies.

“This week I think you’ve got to have the attitude that you need to get to about 25 under by the end of the week,” he said. “So it’s a long week.”

Jones played last week at La Costa, tying Davis Love III for sixth place. Calcavecchia was playing his first round after celebrating during the off-season by going to Reno for his first serious skiing since blowing out a knee on a slope three years ago.

For Jones, it was a start toward his year’s goal: a place on the Ryder Cup team. He is 12th on the points list, and the top 10 and two others chosen by team captain Tom Kite will play against the Europeans in Spain.

For Calcavecchia, it was simply another start to another season.

“I have a great attitude,” he said. “It’s funny how everybody has a great attitude for the first three weeks, until you start missing 10-inch putts at Poppy Hills [one of the courses of the AT&T; Pro-Am].”

Rinker is happy to have an opportunity to miss them. He knows now how big a deal it is.

Golf Notes

Larry Rinker’s brother, Lee, shot a six-under 66. . . . John Daly is one of four golfers who are at seven-under 65.

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Bob Hope Scores

$1.5-million Bob Hope Chrysler Classic

At Indian Wells--Par 72

LEADERS

Player / Total

Larry Rinker: 33-30--63 -9

Mark Calcavecchia: 33-31--64 -8

Steve Jones: 33-31--64 -8