Big Three Garners Most of Attention

Senior golf got just what it needed Thursday, the return of the Big Three.

For at least a day, Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player were again on the center stage in the world of golf.

The 71-year-old Palmer shot his age, Nicklaus, 61, matched his best round of the year in relation to par with a four-under 68 and the 65-year-old Player had a 70 as the trio stole all the attention in the first round of the Senior PGA Championship at Paramus, N.J.

You almost had to feel sorry for Jim Thorpe, who was hardly noticed in grabbing the lead with six birdies in a 67 on the tree-lined Ridgewood Country Club.

Nicklaus, Bob Gilder and Larry Nelson were a shot behind on the 6,904-yard course and one ahead of Hale Irwin, Jim Colbert and Doug Johnson. Player and defending champion Doug Tewell, who eagled the par-four 14th with a six-iron from 167 yards, were three back and one ahead of the pack led by Palmer.

Stuart Appleby, using a folded piece of paper as his yardage book because the pro shop ran out of them, set a tournament record with six consecutive birdies to share the lead after the first round of the Kemper Insurance Open at Potomac, Md.

“It’s not a thrill--a thrill is winning the tournament,” said Appleby, who won the Kemper in 1998. “It’s like leading after five laps at the Indy, and you spin out at the next turn and you’re done.”

Appleby started on the back nine and birdied holes 12 through 17--including a chip-in at the 16th--in a six-under round of 65 that tied him with Chris DiMarco and J.J. Henry. The streak broke the record of five set by four players, most recently in 1998.

Johanna Head of England shot a seven-under 65 and held a one-shot lead over three players after the first round of the LPGA Corning Classic at Corning, N.Y. Tied for second were Jane Crafter of Australia, Peru’s Jenny Lidback and Kellee Booth.