Zoeller Goes Out of Bounds on Tee Shots

Fuzzy Zoeller teed it up too many times Friday in the Royal Caribbean Classic at Key Biscayne, Fla.

Zoeller shot a one-over-par 73 in the opening round of the first full-field event on the Champions Tour, formerly known as the Senior PGA Tour but was later disqualified when he hit three shots while filming a segment for a local television station.

After he was finished with his round, Zoeller spent an hour giving golf instruction to a television reporter. When the cameraman said he wanted to film the ball being hit at full speed, Zoeller hit three balls off the No. 6 tee, deliberately putting them into the lake.

PGA Tour officials saw Zoeller and disqualified him. Tour rules say competitors cannot practice on the course between rounds.

Zoeller could not be reached for comment. He would have been in 36th place heading into the second round.

Bobby Wadkins overcame back spasms over the final six holes to take a two-shot lead in the tournament after shooting a 66. Wadkins had two bogeys and eight birdies.

Wadkins’ best birdie may have been his last, a two-putt from 100 feet on the par-5 No. 18 to finish two shots ahead of Christie O’Connor.

Wadkins started feeling the back spasms after he birdied the 12th. He then found bunkers on Nos. 15, 16 and 17 before his birdie on the 18th.

John Jacobs, who won the event last year, shot 71. Television announcer Gary Koch was at five-under through 16 holes before bogeying the last two holes to finish with a 69.

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Michelle Wie, a 13-year-old from Honolulu, opened with a two-over 74, from the back tees, in the Hawaii Pearl Open, one of the premier men’s golf tournaments in Hawaii. Wie, the only female in the field of 192 and the youngest, was tied for 50th, seven strokes off the lead, held by Japan tour pro Kiyoshi Murota. The $80,000 tournament was played at Pearl Country Club at Aiea, where Wie tried to qualify for last month’s Sony Open.