A LITTLE FOR EVERYONE ON DAY 1 ALL FOUR GOLFERS WET BEAKS ON THE FRONT NINE AT SKINS GAME.Byline: Larry Morgan Staff Writer INDIO - The basic idea of the Skins Game, now in its 18th year, is to have fun and make money. This year's contestants took care of that in Saturday's front nine. For the first time since the event started in 1983, all four players won money on opening day. Today, however, the stakes are considerably higher. The back nine is worth $700,000, including $200,000 on the 18th hole, and there might not be as much of the good-natured bantering that went on among defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre Fred Couples Frederick Stephen Couples (born October 3, 1959) is an American professional golfer and former World No. 1 who competes on the PGA Tour. He has won numerous events, and is most famous for winning the 1992 Masters Tournament. , Sergio Garcia, Colin Montgomerie Colin Stuart Montgomerie, OBE (born June 23, 1963) is a Scottish professional golfer often referred to by his nickname 'Monty'. He has had one of the finest careers in European Tour history, having won a record eight Order of Merit titles including a streak of seven consecutively and Vijay Singh For the politician, see . Vijay Singh (born 22 February, 1963) is a professional golfer who was number one in the Official World Golf Rankings for 32 weeks in 2004 and 2005. at Landmark Golf Club. ``Tomorrow is a different game,'' Singh said. ``A lot more skins at stake.'' But there will be some joking, which has become almost a staple of this competition. The Skins Game, after all, cultivates a considerably more relaxed atmosphere than players normally see on tour, and they almost make it a point to enjoy themselves. ``The $1 million purse is important,'' said Garcia, playing in his second Skins Game. ``But all year, we play in stroke-play tournaments, and it's good to play in this type of format and in this weather. You can have a little more fun.'' Prize money is at stake on each hole. A player wins the money if he wins the hole (the skin) outright. If two or more players tie a hole, the money is carried over to the next hole. The pot builds until one player wins a hole. Garcia definitely had a good time Saturday. He emerged the first-day winner with $150,000, thanks to a $25,000 skin on the par-4, 483-yard fourth hole and a $125,000 skin on the par-3 eighth. Garcia, in fact, tied Corey Pavin Corey Allen Pavin (born November 16, 1959) is an American professional golfer on the PGA Tour. Pavin was born in Oxnard, California. He attended UCLA and turned professional in 1982. , Lee Trevino Noun 1. Lee Trevino - United States golfer (born in 1939) Lee Buck Trevino, Supermex, Trevino and Paul Azinger Paul William Azinger (born January 6, 1960) is an American golfer who was at his peak in the late 1980s and the early 1990s. Azinger was born in Holyoke, Massachusetts. He attended Florida State University and turned professional in 1981. for highest first-day earnings. Next was Montgomerie, whose par on the par-3, 203-yard fifth hole was worth $75,000. That was a half-skin, really, he said with a smile. Singh could have forced a carryover carryover n. in taxation accounting, using a tax year's deductions, business losses or credits to apply to the following year's tax return to reduce the tax liability. (See: carryback) , but his par putt went around the hole and stayed out. ``I'd like to say I won, but I can't,'' Montgomerie said. ``I'd like to thank my three friends here for that. They were very, very generous. ``I've come a long way and I appreciate it very much.'' Couples, who had to miss the final three holes of Friday's pro-am after stepping in a hole and aggravating ag·gra·vate tr.v. ag·gra·vat·ed, ag·gra·vat·ing, ag·gra·vates 1. To make worse or more troublesome. 2. To rouse to exasperation or anger; provoke. See Synonyms at annoy. his chronic bad back, earned the first skin (worth $25,000) on the opening hole with a 3-foot putt for birdie. ``And that was it for me,'' he pointed out. Yet that was enough. The skin gave him $2 million over eight appearances - and three championships - in the event. Singh waited until the ninth hole to get his money ($50,000). His 170- yard eight-iron from a fairway bunker reached the green on the par-5, 507-yard hole in two and he made the 12-foot putt for a winning eagle. His putter had betrayed him most of the day. He missed a 4-footer to give Montgomerie the skin at No. 5 and missed a 5-footer for a potential winning skin on the par-4 seventh. But he had no problem on his final putt of the day. ``I got a good read and it went in finally,'' he said with a grin. Singh, unlike many of the world's top players, has a lot of golf ahead of him. He will be playing in next week's Williams World Challenge, hosted by the Tiger Woods Foundation The Tiger Woods Foundation was established in 1996 by Tiger Woods and his father, Earl Woods, to create and support community-based programs that improve the health, education, and welfare of all children in America. at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks Thousand Oaks, residential city (1990 pop. 104,352), Ventura co., S Calif., in a farm area; inc. 1964. Avocados, citrus, vegetables, strawberries, and nursery products are grown. , and then it's off to Australia for the World Match Play Championship. ``Travel and make a lot of money,'' he said. ``Not bad.'' SKINS GAME Today: Back Nine Purse: $700,000 TV: Ch. 7, 2:30 p.m. (tape delay) CAPTION(S): photo Photo: (color) Vijay Singh celebrates his eagle putt on No. 9 Saturday, which gave him a $50,000 skin. The back nine will be played today. Kevork Djansezian/Associated Press |
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