Player, North among group two shots back
Associated Press
MILTON, Fla. (March 23) -- John Schroeder, winless in six seasons on the Senior Tour, shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to take the first-round lead in the Emerald Coast Classic.
Mike Smith was a stroke back, and Gary Player, Bobby Walzel, Mike McCullough and Andy North opened with 67s on The Moors course.
Jim Colbert topped a six-player group at 68, and Larry Nelson and Lanny Wadkins were in a large group at 69. Defending champion Gil Morgan shot a 71.
Schroeder, the winner of the PGA Tour's 1973 Liggett and Myers Open Match Play, had a strong putting performance following a Wednesday night phone conversation with friend Phil Rogers.
"We talked about what I needed to do," Schroeder said. "I worked on it yesterday and today I putted the ball probably as well as I've ever putted it in any round of golf I've ever played."
Schroeder made a 70-foot putt from just off the green on the par-3 third hole. He started a string of three birdies with a 14-footer on No. 5, and added a 20-footer on No. 6. He two-putted from 25 feet for birdie on the par-5 seventh hole and sank a 10-footer for his final birdie on No. 13.
"I've been putting so terrible this year," said Schroeder, ranked 53rd in the tour's putting statistics. "But today I didn't miss any putts that were makable."
North was tied with Schroeder at 5-under on No. 17 when he hit into the water and made double-bogey.
Player said his 67 easily could have been a 65, which would have matched his age. He bogeyed No. 5 and almost holed out a bunker shot on No. 18 for birdie.
Content Provided by GolfDigest.com
FULL STORY
