Pernice leads in Champions Tour debut
September 27, 2009
CARY, N.C. (AP)—Tom Pernice Jr. moved into position to become the 15th playerto win his Champions Tour debut, shooting his second bogey-free 5-under 67 onSaturday to take a one-shot lead in the SAS Championship.
“If you’re playing good, it doesn’t matter what tour you’re on,” saidPernice, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour. “And everything’s been prettysolid. All in all, I’m very thrilled.”
Pernice is trying to become the third player this year to win in his debut,following Tom Lehman, who teamed with Bernhard Langer in the Liberty MutualLegends, and Senior PGA winner Michael Allen. In the 2007 SAS, Mark Wiebe wonhis tour debut. Arnold Palmer, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player also won in theirfirst senior starts.
Dan Forsman and first-round co-leaders Denis Watson and Russ Cochran weretied for second at Prestonwood Country Club. Forsman shot a 68, and Watson andCochran had 69s.
Cochran struggled with his iron play after birdieing the first two holes.
“I hit way too many weak iron shots,” said Cochran, making only his 12thstart on the 50-and-over tour. “But I got away with an awful lot. The goodstart on one and two helped because I had given it away by 10. From 11 on, Iplayed pretty good.”
Forsman and R.W. Eaks held a share of the lead late in the round untilbogeys pushed them back. Forsman hit his tee shot on 16 into the water, butsalvaged a bogey on the hole. He followed with a birdie on No. 17.
Eaks, who struggled with a back injury through much of the back nine,bogeyed the last hole for a 69, dropping him into a three-way tie for fifth withNick Price (68) and Joey Sindelar (69), two strokes back at 8 under.
Fred Funk and Loren Roberts, who hold the top two spots in the CharlesSchwab Cup points race, were tied for 29th at 3 under.
Pernice, who turned 50 this month, has struggled this year on the PGA Tour,missing the cut in 11 of 22 events. He has one top-10 finish—in the Bob Hopein January.
“I think there’s still something left in the tank to compete against thebest,” said Pernice, who still wants to play a full PGA schedule next year.
But he also said he felt privileged to be among so many Hall of Famers atthe SAS Championship.
“It’s like a family out here,” Pernice said of the Champions Tour. “Theguys out here have been wonderful. It’s a great experience to get such a warmwelcome from the guys.”
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