Schmidt Not a Hit in Senior Debut

Eleven years after his retirement from a Hall of Fame baseball career, Mike Schmidt was a rookie again Friday--and he played like it.

Playing under a scoring system that rewards eagles and birdies with points, Schmidt finished with minus-one point, 16 behind leader Vicente Fernandez after Friday’s opening round of the $1.1-million Royal Caribbean Classic senior golf tournament in Key Biscayne, Fla.

“This for me was like stepping up,” said Schmidt, who has made more than $100,000 a year the last nine years playing on fringe circuits. “It’s nice for a guy like me to have this experience. I’ll look back and say, ‘Do you believe I played on the senior tour?’ ”

Fernandez had eight birdies against one bogey, earning 15 points under a scoring system that awards eight points for a double eagle, five for an eagle, two for a birdie, nothing for par, minus-one for a bogey and minus-three for a double bogey.

Hugh Baiocchi, who had six birdies on the back nine, had 14 points. Bob Eastwood and Mike Hill each had 13 points on the 6,869-yard, par-72 Crandon Park Golf Club course.

Another prominent senior rookie, Tom Kite, a 19-time winner on the PGA Tour, had six points and was tied with defending champion Bruce Fleisher.

Schmidt, playing on a sponsor’s exemption, had five birdies but was undone by five bogeys and two double bogeys.

“I could stand with ‘em, dress with ‘em, put the glove in the back pocket and do all the things big-time golfers do,” he said. “I could talk the talk, walk the walk, but as soon as they announced me on the tee box I wasn’t freed up.”

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The PGA of America will distribute $2.6 million from its Ryder Cup profits to the charities and colleges of the American players’ choice, putting an end to a debate that divided the U.S. team last year.

“I think it’s a good thing, and I believe that in the end it was worth it,” said David Duval, who first raised the idea of players getting a piece of the estimated $23 million in Ryder Cup profits for their charities.

Each player and captain Ben Crenshaw designated $100,000 to various charities, plus another $100,000 to the university of their choice for a PGA of America program to acquaint students with opportunities in golf.