Tewell (66) Takes Lead in Tradition

Doug Tewell has embraced the Senior PGA Tour, and he’s starting to see the rewards.

Tewell, a three-time winner on the senior tour after winning four times on the regular tour, shot a six-under-par 66 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the first round of The Tradition at Scottsdale, Ariz.

Mike McCullough and Tom Wargo were second, and Bob Gilder, Jim Holtgrieve and Terry Dill opened with 68s. Former champion Gil Morgan bogeyed the last two holes to join John Jacobs, Jim Ahern, Jim Thorpe and Jose Maria Canizares at 69.

McCullough bogeyed the 17th hole, but considered it the key to a strong round because he holed a 15-foot putt after hitting a four-iron into trees off the tee.

“Seventeen was a real bonus,” he said. “Maybe I’m a little tired, I’m not sure. I notice Gil bogeyed 17 and 18. I notice a lot of people bogeyed 17.”

Defending champion Tom Kite shot a 72, and Larry Nelson, who was in a playoff with Kite and Tom Watson last year, also carded a 72.

Watson skipped The Tradition to play in Hilton Head Island, S.C., a tournament Tewell won in 1980. Tewell wished Watson and other marquee players would take the senior tour more seriously.

“He didn’t consider this a major,” Tewell said. “I don’t mean to get in there and knock Tom, but I think it is. It’s four rounds, we’re all preparing for it like it is, and we need majors out here. We need something to point to.”

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Doug Dunakey, best known for his 59 on the Nike Tour, shot a six-under 65 for a share of the lead with Vijay Singh and Billy Mayfair in the WorldCom Classic at Hilton Head Island.

Dunakey, a 37-year-old player in his third full tour season, had seven birdies and one bogey on the touched-up Harbour Town Golf Links after averaging 74 in his eight first rounds this season.

“It was a long ways from a 59, but it was a pretty solid round,” said Dunakey, who broke 60 three years ago in the Miami Valley Open.

Mark Calcavecchia and Tom Lehman led a group of nine at 66.

“There’s a lot more excitement in the air and a lot more hoopla when Tiger’s playing,” Lehman said of absent Masters winner Tiger Woods. “But on the other hand, you do what you can do.”