Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: MONDAY, January 10, 1994 TAG: 9401100070
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-5 EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: CARLSBAD, CALIF. LENGTH: Medium
One tournament into the new year, and Jack Nicklaus is raising tantalizing possibilities.
On a day Phil Mickelson beat Fred Couples in a playoff to win the Mercedes Championship, Nicklaus again proved just how commanding a presence he holds.
The 53-year-old golf great came from three shots off the pace to win the senior section of this two-tier event, formerly the Tournament of Champions. Then things got more interesting: Nicklaus began talking about winning another major title.
Only he wasn't talking about the Senior PGA Tour.
"I played a very good senior tour tournament," he said. "But that's not what I'm trying to do.
"You may laugh at me, but if I think in my own mind I can be competitive, then I believe I can be competitive. If in my own mind I don't think that, then I'll let you know and I'll go do something else."
Instead, the man who has won more major titles than anyone outlined what could be the most extensive playing schedule he has attempted in a half-dozen years - 20 tournaments, possibly more, on the regular and senior tours.
"This could be a fun season," he said. "I'm going to try to make it one. It's time for me to start letting my clubs do the talking. It's time for me to do it instead of talking about it."
Nicklaus, making his first start in this gathering of champions in more than a decade, shot a 4-under-par 68 at the La Costa Resort. He beat Bob Murphy by a stroke at 279, 9-under-par.
Nicklaus, whose last regular-tour victory came at the 1986 Masters, collected $100,000 from the seniors purse of $500,000.
It was his seventh victory in 20 career starts as a member of the 50-and-over set. He has 95 career victories, 18 in international competition and 70 on the PGA Tour.
Mickelson needed only a par on the 10th hole - the second playoff hole - to open the season with the fourth victory of his career.
He and Couples completed regulation play in 276. Each played the last round in 68, and each made a routine par on the first playoff hole.
On the par-4 10th, Mickelson had a good lie after driving into the right rough. Couples got a bad break on a ball that bounced dead left into a fairway bunker.
After Couples laid up, about 50 yards short, Mickelson pitched on to the front, lower level of a three-tier green.
Couples pitched to about 15 feet and missed his par putt. Mickelson got down in two, running his long lag up to about 4 feet, then dropping the par putt worth $180,000 and a Mercedes.
by CNB