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STOCKTON IS MAKING HIMSELF AT HOME.


Byline: Larry Morgan Staff Writer

Dave Stockton David Knapp Stockton (born November 2, 1941) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments on both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.

Stockton was born in San Bernardino, California.
 remembers playing Wilshire Country Club when he was in college at USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code.  and never scoring well on it. But he's having no such problems now.

Stockton, who turns 58 on Tuesday, shot an impressive 7-under 64 Saturday that gave him a two-stroke lead after two rounds of the $1.2 million Pacific Bell Senior Classic.

In second place was first-round co-leader John Mahaffey John Drayton Mahaffey Jr. (born May 9, 1948) is an American professional golfer who has won numerous tournaments including 10 PGA Tour events.

Mahaffey was born in Kerrville, Texas. He attended the University of Houston in Houston, Texas.
, who had a 68, at 8-under 134. Joining him there was defending champion defending champion n (SPORT) → defensor/a m/f del título

defending champion n (Sport) → champion(ne) en titre

 Joe Inman Joseph Cooper Inman, Jr. (born November 29, 1947) is an American professional golfer who has played on the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour.

Inman was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and is the eldest of six children.
 (66), Bob Murphy (66) and 63-year-old Gary Player Gary Player (born November 1, 1935) is a South African professional golfer generally regarded as one of the greatest players in the game's history.

He was born in Johannesburg, South Africa.
, who had a 66 despite missing five putts inside six feet.

John Jacobs John Jacobs is the name of:
  • John Jacobs (American golfer) (born 1945), PGA Tour and Champions Tour player
  • John Jacobs (English golfer) (born 1925), European Tour player and internationally-known golf coach and instructor
, who shared the first-round lead with Mahaffey, shot an even-par 71 but isn't out of it by any means at 6-under 136.

Maybe it's Wilshire's reconfigured layout that has Stockton at the top of his game. Last year's treacherous, 444-yard 18th hole now is No. 17, and last year's 10th hole, a short but testy tes·ty  
adj. tes·ti·er, tes·ti·est
Irritated, impatient, or exasperated; peevish: a testy cab driver; a testy refusal to help.
 par-3, is this year's No. 18. The course was re-routed for gallery purposes and better sightlines, and there was plenty to see Saturday on a beautiful, clear day.

The decision to end the tournament on a par-3 has drawn mixed player reactions. Inman called this year's 18th hole ``a great hole, not a give-up hole.'' Murphy wasn't as complimentary.

``Tournament-wise, I don't like it at all,'' he said. ``If it was a harder par-3, a two- or three-iron shot, that would be different. There aren't nearly the amount of mistakes that can be made as on the other hole.

``It takes away a lot.''

But not that much. The par-3 18th ranked 11th-toughest in Saturday's round, during which 30 players broke par and nine players moved within six shots of the lead.

Stockton's presence at the top is surprising, considering his season includes just one top-10 finish - a fourth-place tie at the Bank One Championship - and just over $330,000 in earnings. He still was having swing problems entering this event, but discovered he was leaving too much weight on his right side during his follow-through.

A better weight shift and a return to an old putter apparently have worked wonders.

Murphy, who missed just two greens and had seven birdies Saturday, said he enjoys seeing his good friend play well. Stockton just missed the Wilshire tournament record of 63 set by Hale Irwin Hale S. Irwin (born June 3, 1945) is an American golfer. He is the uncle of Heath Irwin.

Irwin was born in Joplin, Missouri. He graduated from the University of Colorado in 1967, where he was a two-time All-Big Eight defensive back, as well as an academic All-American in
 in 1997. Dale Douglass Dale Dwight Douglass (born March 5, 1936) is an American professional golfer who has won tournaments at both the PGA Tour and the Champions Tour level.

Douglass was born in Wewoka, Oklahoma.
 holds the overall tournament mark, a 61, set at Rancho Park in 1994.

``I think Dave playing well is great,'' Murphy said. ``Neither of us has had a very good year.

``The rest of the guys can just play bad tomorrow, and Dave and I have a nice time.''

Stockton said he never lost his ability, just his confidence. And he said he never had much of it at Wilshire.

``I don't ever remember even breaking par on this course,'' he said. ``But all of a sudden, I have opportunities to make a whole bunch of birdies. I can't explain it.''

Pacific Bell Classic

At Wilshire CC

Today's pairings

No. 1 tee

9:05 - Bob Charles Bob Charles may be:
  • Bob Charles (golfer), Professional golfer
  • Bob Charles (politician), Australian Liberal politician
, Charles Coody Billy Charles Coody (born July 13, 1937) is an American golfer.

Coody was born in Stamford, Texas. He graduated from Texas Christian University in 1960 and made his pro debut in 1963.
, Hugh Baiocchi. 9:15 - Dave Eichelberger, Allen Doyle. 9:25 - Bob Eastwood, Dana Quigley, Brian Barnes. 9:35 - Chi Chi Rodriguez, Gene Littler, John Morgan. 9:45 - Tom McGinnis, Bobby Stroble, Leonard Thompson. 9:55 - Walter Morgan, Mike McCullough, Jay Sigel. 10:05 - DeWitt Weaver, Gil Morgan, Jim Albus. 10:15 - Walter Hall, Butch Baird, Jim Ahern. 10:25 - Jose Maria Canizares, Al Geiberger, George Archer. 10:35 - John Jacobs, Hubert Green, John Bland. 10:45 - Jim Thorpe, Lee Trevino, Bruce Summerhays. 10:55 - Joe Inman, Gary Player, Bruce Fleisher. 11:05 - Dave Stockton, John Mahaffey, Bob Murphy.

No. 10 tee

9:05 - Larry Nelson, Harold Henning, Jim Colbert. 9:15 - Hale Irwin, Buzz Thomas, Christy O'Connor. 9:25 - David Lundsrom, Dale Douglass, Jerry McGee. 9:35 - Frank Conner, Bill Lytle, Vicente Fernandez. 9:45 - Calvin Peete, Howard Twitty, Bob Dickson. 9:55 - Walter Zembriski, Doug Tewell, Ray Floyd. 10:05 - Kermit Zarley, Orville Moody, Barney Thompson. 10:15 - Noel Ratcliffe, Tom Shaw, Fred Gibson. 10:25 - Alberto Giannone, Rocky Thompson, Mike Malone. 10:35 - Gary McCord, Chuck Montalbano, Don Bies. 10:45 - Jeff Van Wagenen, Dick Hendrickson, Jimmy Powell. 10:55 - Gay Brewer, Charlie Sifford, Billy Casper.

CAPTION(S):

2 photos, box

PHOTO (1 -- color) John Jacobs, a co-leader after the first round, lines up a putt on his way to an even-par 71.

(2) Lee Trevino tees off at the 10th hole in the second round of the Pacific Bell Senior Classic.

Gus Ruelas/Staff Photographer

BOX: Pacific Bell Classic (see text)
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No portion of this article can be reproduced without the express written permission from the copyright holder.
Copyright 1999, Gale Group. All rights reserved. Gale Group is a Thomson Corporation Company.

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Article Details
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Title Annotation:Sports
Publication:Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)
Date:Oct 31, 1999
Words:771
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