Doyle’s Shots Keep Coming

If Allen Doyle had his way, every tournament on the Senior PGA Tour would take place at Newport Beach Country Club, he would have the fairway bunker on the 18th hole removed and everyone involved with the proposed Major Champions Tour would have their heads examined.

Doyle made those things perfectly clear after shooting five-under-par 66 Friday in the first round of the Toshiba Senior Classic to take a one-stroke lead over Hale Irwin and Jim Dent.

Doyle, the 2000 champion, has nine consecutive rounds in the 60s at Newport Beach Country Club and has finished no lower than third in three previous appearances in this tournament.

But his impressive round Friday was spoiled by a bogey on the finishing hole after he hit his drive near a bunker on the left and had to take an awkward stance in the bunker for his second shot, which traveled only 10 feet.

His mood was further spoiled by a question about the Majors Champions Tour, a proposed tour for players aged 37-55 who have won at least one PGA Tour major. Doyle, 53, does not qualify because he never won a PGA Tour event.

“It’s greed with a capital G,” said Doyle, who operated a Georgia driving range and made about $35,000 a year before turning professional in 1995. Last year, he donated a $1-million tax-deferred annuity to seven charities after winning it in a bonus pool. “It would absolutely blow my mind if the greed is that bad that they couldn’t see that this will hurt both tours.”

The proposed tour would offer a minimum purse of $2 million per tournament with a winner’s share of $600,000.

After a cut to low 20, last place would receive a minimum of $50,000. It would cater to the older PGA Tour player who is not yet 50 and eligible for the senior tour, yet is no longer competitive on the PGA Tour.

Anyone who decides to play the Major Champions Tour would have to relinquish his PGA Tour and senior tour playing privileges. Doyle said that since the PGA Tour operates the senior tour, popular players are morally obligated to play the senior tour after turning 50.

“[They would be hurting] the tour that made them who they are,” said Doyle, the 2001 senior tour player of the year and leading money winner. “If they were that greedy that they couldn’t look at their monthly or quarterly financial statements and see where their wealth came from, that blows my mind. Everything I am today is because of the PGA and Senior PGA tours.”

At 56, Irwin, the all-time leading money winner on the senior tour, also would not be eligible even though he won three U.S. Opens. He likened the idea to a tour of a select group of friends.

“I think you can attach names to players in that age group,” Irwin said. “Why 37? That’s an interesting number. I think it’s got a long way to go.”

Irwin, on the other hand, doesn’t have far to go in the tournament. His 67 is his best opening round of the season, not bad considering he has won and finished second twice in his last three tournaments.

“My objective today was not necessarily to grab the lead,” said Irwin, who could have been lower if not for three missed birdie putts inside 10 feet. “It was just to get off to a better start so I don’t have so many players in front of me that I have to try and catch up in 36 holes.”

That is imperative in a tournament that has had two nine-hole playoffs and a five-hole playoff in the last five years. Although Doyle is the first solo first-round leader in seven tour stops at Newport Beach, there are 28 players within four shots.

A group of eight, including Tom Watson, Dave Stockton and Gil Morgan, are two strokes back.

“It wouldn’t shock too many people if, when you come to the 18th hole on Sunday, and it’s a pretty good bunch packed in there,” Doyle said.

Tom Kite, a two-time winner and leading money winner on the senior tour this season, withdrew before the first round because of back spasms.

Sammy Rachels used a six-iron on the 167-yard 13th hole for the first hole-in-one in tournament history. He is four shots behind Doyle at one-under.

Defending champion Jose Maria Canizares opened with a six-over 77 and is in 76th place.