SO JOE, WHAT ELSE IS NEW? DEFENDING CHAMP INMAN LEADS PACK AT SENIOR CLASSIC.

Byline: Dave Shelburne Staff Writer

You don't have to watch the leaderboard to separate SBC Senior Classic leader Joe Inman from the rest of the challengers at Wilshire Country Club.

He's the one most likely to break down weeping when reminded this tournament will leave Wilshire next year, possibly for Valencia.

Inman, a third-year senior who has never won anywhere else on the Senior PGA Tour, has never lost at Wilshire - nor shot higher than 68 on the par-71, 6,583-yard layout, where he has won the last two years.

The Wizard of Wilshire was at it again Friday, shooting 6-under-par 65 to take a two-stroke lead over Gary McCord and Gil Morgan in a rain-threatened round that left eight players tied for fourth at 68.

``I just have to pinch myself all the time about playing out here,'' said Inman, who is 31 under par in his seven tournament rounds at Wilshire.

McCord, who led until Inman's closing surge, believes the relatively short-hitting leader does well at Wilshire because he hits straight and his approach shots don't spin much, allowing better putting opportunities on greens that were wet Friday but traditionally among the quickest on tour.

``He's putting the ball excellently right now,'' McCord said.

Inman made the most of his putts Friday, rolling in birdies from 10, 10, 8, 12, 4 and 6 feet. He also had a 24-foot birdie putt on No. 10 that left him speechless - no small feat for the man who is seldom at a loss for words, most of them optimistic.

His lone miscue was a bogey on No. 4 that offset an early birdie and ended his string of bogeyless holes at 94, three shy of the tour record set by the late Jack Kiefer. Inman, who had tried unsuccessfully not to think about that mark, said it was fitting it stayed with Kiefer, who won this tournament in 1994 at Rancho Park and died two years ago.

``I was trying not to think about it, but it's something that you do think about,'' Inman said. ``So, when I walked to the fifth tee, it was like, 'All right, we're even par now, let's play the tournament.' ''

He did that in his typically effective Wilshire style and is once again the man to catch on this old-style course of tight, tree-lined fairways and small, undulating greens.

Inman took his big step toward a third straight Wilshire title in stride, attributing it to the calm he almost always seems to have whenever he plays here.

``Everything is beautiful in my life and I'm trying not to put any kind of pressure on myself,'' he said. ``If I do good, fine. If I do bad, fine. . . . I just feel such a peaceful feeling inside and it shows up in my golf.''

Golf broadcaster turned senior star McCord was feeling a bit conflicted, shooting well enough to roll in six birdies but struggling with distance control on the greens after switching to cross-handed putting on the second hole.

He's also feeling some fatigue, because of a late-season decision to try to secure a berth in the Senior Tour Championship - which he won last year and for which only the top 31 money-winners qualify each season.

The decision left McCord, who entered this week ranked No. 32 in earnings, working every weekend for more than seven months.

``I've been on the road 29 straight weeks between playing and CBS,''he said.

Morgan, who won this tournament in 1996 and '97, finished with four birdies in a bogeyless 67 that gave him a tour-record 31 straight sub-par rounds. Two other streaks ended, as Jim Thorpe finished 70 after 10 straight rounds in the 60s, and money leader Larry Nelson was 1-over 72 to halt a run of 32 rounds of par or better.

Barry Jaeckel, Hugh Baiocchi, Ed Dougherty, David Graham, Bruce Summerhays, John Bland, Christy O'Connor and Tom Kite were packed at 68.

Early leader Jaeckel proved you can go home again, going birdie-eagle on holes 12 and 13 to finish 68 on a course located a few tee shots from his birthplace.

``I was born about two blocks from here on Hudson Avenue,'' said the son of the late character actor Richard Jaeckel. ``Hadn't played here in about 30 years until I played last Monday in a practice round.''

Jaeckel, 51, playing this week on a sponsor's exemption, is a part-time Senior Tour player who won the Tallahassee Open on the PGA Tour. He had a close miss in the '81 Tournament Players Championship - losing in a playoff to Ray Floyd - and came close again in the '83 Kemper Open, losing to Fred Couples in a playoff.

He showed the ability to stay close again Friday, holding at par for 11 holes before surging into the clubhouse leadership.

``I got what I deserved today,'' said Jaeckel, who fell into a creek at Wilshire when he was 4 years old and fell into an easy rhythm early Friday. ``It was a well-managed round that turned out well. . . . I didn't really do anything well or anything poorly.''

Simi Valley resident Mitch Voges, the 1991 U.S. Amateur champion who also is playing this week on a sponsor's exemption, started faster than anyone Friday, scoring birdies on three of his first four holes. He stayed at 3-under through 11 holes before struggling in the stretch to finish 2-over 73.

LEADERBOARD

Joe Inman 33-32-65 -6

Gary McCord 33-34-67 -4

Gil Morgan 33-34-67 -4

Mike McCullough 34-33-67 -4

Eight tied at -3

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

Photo:

(1 -- color) Joe Inman, who has won the last two years at Wilshire, is at it again after an opening-round 65.

(2) Gary McCord, sporting a goatee under his trademark mustache, is one of three players in second place at 4 under.

Michael Caulfield/Associated Press

Box: Leaderboard (see text)