JACOBSEN FITS RIGHT IN SENIOR DEBUTANT AMONG 5 TIED FOR LEAD AT VALENCIA.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

SANTA CLARITA - If northbound travelers thought Interstate 5 was packed Friday afternoon, they should have seen the jam at the top of the SBC Classic leaderboard, a hard slice from the Magic Mountain exit lane.

Champions Tour rookie Peter Jacobsen, returning Rookie of the Year Craig Stadler, former U.S. Senior Open champion Don Pooley and past SBC Classic champion Gil Morgan shared the lead at 5-under-par 67 with sandal-wearing Mike McCullough in near-perfect playing conditions at Valencia Country Club.

Defending-champion Tom Purtzer, Jose Canizares, Larry Nelson and Mark James were one stroke back at 68 and six others - including past major champions Ray Floyd, Tom Kite and Ray Floyd - shot 69.

Much of the opening-day attention went to Jacobsen, the outgoing seven-time PGA Tour winner who had won on that tour as recently as last summer and was making his debut on the age-50-and-over Champions Tour.

First-tee jitters were unlikely for Jacobsen, who is good with a crowd, comfortable as a host of a televised golf show and long famous for his often hilarious imitations of fellow touring pros.

He was right on with his game and commentary Friday, making birdie on his first two holes, acknowledging fans throughout the day and entertaining the media afterward with his assessment of his first swing as a senior golfer.

``I got it down the fairway,'' Jacobsen said of the tee shot that began what wound up being a tour-opening birdie on Valencia's 521-yard, par-5 first hole. ``It's always good to get it in the air. If I topped it off the first tee, I'd call that a son-in-law - not what I expected.''

He finished with seven birdies, gave some of that back with two bogeys, needed to scramble for par and a share of the lead after missing the green on his final hole, and came away smiling.

``I was so excited to play today,'' said Jacobsen, who turned 50 last week and played in a group - with Pooley and Wayne Levi - that was a combined 12 under par.

``Great pairing,'' he said. ``Two friends at the top of their game. I made my share of putts. There were a few more that I could make, but that's golf.''

Earlier in the week of his first senior tournament, the long-ago University of Oregon star had been reminded what it was like to be a tour rookie again:

``I've had to sing the fight song three times, I had to clean (Ben) Crenshaw's clubs., change J.C. Snead's spikes, and Bruce Lietzke walked behind me, grabbed my underwear and gave me a wedgie. Other then that, it's been OK.''

Stadler, the tour rookie of the year last season after turning 50 in June, is making his Los Angeles-area Champions Tour debut. And he started as fast as anyone Friday. He made birdies on five of his first 10 holes before losing nearly as many birdie opportunities the rest of the way and came away with mixed emotions - unwilling to bemoan a 67 but all too aware of what got away.

``It could have been a 63 or 64,'' said Stadler, who drove the ball well enough to have many wedge approach shots on the back nine only to see most of them miss long or spin back off the front of the green.

``It was well-earned on the first 10 holes,'' said the former USC star, who birdied his first two holes, made the turn at 4-under and added a fifth birdie at No. 10. ``And then what could have been was taken away the last eight holes.''

Pooley, playing in the same group with Stadler, started almost as fast, with birdies on two of his first three holes and finished with six birdies and an eagle - on the 500-yard, par-5 ninth.

Morgan, who has won two PGA Tour events and two Champions Tour events in the Los Angeles area, said he can't explain.

Dave Shelburne, [phone]

dave.shelburne(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

Peter Jacobsen lines up a putt on the third hole at the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club.

David Crane/Staff Photographer

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