Golfers offer their thoughts, feelings on Columbia tragedy
Advertiser Staff
With the late tee times (the first group started at 11:27 a.m. yesterday) most of the golfers watched the tragic news of the space shuttle Columbia on television during the morning.
Their thoughts:
Arnold Palmer: "I just couldn't handle it. I just wished things like that didn't happen. They're all heroes to me."
Bruce Fleisher: "Sad. You're alive one minute and instantaneously, you perish. How do you put this game in perspective?"
Lee Trevino: "Awful, absolutely awful. I was at breakfast when I saw this thing fall out of the sky."
John Jacobs: "Tragic. I know a lot of NASA guys, played golf with them. You have to feel for them and their families."
SHORT PUTTS: Bruce Edwards, Tom Watson's caddy, married Marsha Moore last night at Hualalai. Edwards was diagnosed with Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) two weeks ago. "He's been with me for 30 years," said Watson, who was best man. "We're going to have a lot more fun out here." ... Steve Veriato's best finish last year was a tie for sixth at the Turtle Bay Championship. Veriato is a 1964 St. Joseph's graduate. ... Tom Kite set the course and tournament record last year when he opened with a 63 and went on to win. ... Rocky Thompson was the last senior player with three eagles in a round, at the 1992 Ka'anapali Classic. Don January and Jimmy Powell also did it, both in 1985. ... Arnold Palmer, 73, was under par for the tournament after seven holes yesterday, but bogeyed six of the next eight. ... In two days, the worst score on the par-5 fourth hole is par.
Final Round Groupings and Starting Times
11:12 a.m.—J.C. Snead, Arnold Palmer. 11:21—Mike McCullough, Dave Eichelberger. 11:30—John Schroeder, Walter Hall. 11:39—Bobby Wadkins, Hubert Green. 11:48—Bob Gilder, Gil Morgan. 11:57—Jack Nicklaus, Jim Colbert. 12:06 p.m.—Lee Trevino, Jose Maria Canizares. 12:15—Sammy Rachels, Doug Tewell. 12:24—Isao Aoki, Leonard Thompson. 12:33—Ed Dougherty, Hale Irwin. 12:42—James Mason, Gary Player. 12:51—Jay Sigel, John Jacobs. 1:00—Jim Thorpe, Tom Kite. 1:09—Tom Watson, Tom Jenkins. 1:18—Steven Veriato, Allen Doyle. 1:27—Bruce Fleisher, Stewart Ginn. 1:36—Dana Quigley, Bruce Lietzke. 1:45—Fuzzy Zoeller, Larry Nelson.
