Sports: Haas, at 49, feels good; a 68 will do that

Golf

Haas, at 49, feels good; a 68 will do that

Soon to be on the senior tour, he shares the clubhouse lead at the rain-delayed Players Championship.

By BOB HARIG, Times Staff Writer

PONTE VEDRA BEACH -- His AARP membership card will be arriving in the mail any day, and a life of golf carts and no cuts is just around the corner. But forget the perks. Jay Haas is hardly thinking about being a senior. In fact, to look at him, you'd be hard pressed to believe he is 49 years old.

To see him shoot 4-under-par 68 Thursday during the first round of the Players Championship only produced more amazement.

In a game now dominated by long-hitting, limber youths, Haas still finds a way to get his ball in the hole in a minimum number of strokes. His first full season on the PGA Tour came the year after Tiger Woods was born.

Two months ago, Haas became the oldest player to shoot 61 in a PGA Tour event. If it weren't for Mike Weir birdieing the final three holes, Haas would have had his first victory in a decade.

Now he's at the $6.5-million Players Championship, on the verge of qualifying for the Masters. The Champions Tour and senior golf can wait.

"My drive is still there, my excitement about the game is still there," Haas said. "I feel great. Sure, I've been thinking about next year. I think my skills have deteriorated some, but I was never a long hitter, and I was never an unbelievable ball striker. I was never an unbelievable putter. I just was a good player in a lot of different parts of my game.

"I don't think I've rejuvenated everything. I just feel good and I've worked at it and I want to work at it."

Haas' 68 was good for a share of the lead with Skip Kendall, Bob Tway and Rocco Mediate. The first round, which started 30 minutes late due to rain, was suspended because of rain and lightning with 68 players on the course. They will complete the round this morning starting at 7:30, with the second round scheduled to begin at 8:30.

Kevin Sutherland was tied with the leaders at 4 under through 16 holes. Stewart Cink shot 69, with Fred Couples, Tom Lehman and Jim Carter also at 3 under but not finished. Woods shot par 72 and was tied for 36th place.

Despite looking ahead to the Champions Tour, where he expects to play most of his golf next season, Haas has plenty of incentive this week. This is the last opportunity to qualify for the Masters, and short of winning, he has two chances to get in.

Currently 15th on the PGA Tour money list, if he moves into the top 10 after this tournament, he would earn a spot. He is about $100,000 out of the 10th spot. The top 50 in the world ranking also receive invitations, and Haas is 57th. Since the ranking is based on strength of field, and this is regarded as the best field in a golf, a top-10 finish ought to do it for Haas.

"I'm going in with the attitude that if I play well it could happen," he said. "I don't think it would ruin my year if I don't. But I would sure love to do it."

Haas, who has five top-10 finishes at the Masters, has not played the tournament since 2000. And he didn't figure to after that year, when he finished 144th on the money list -- the only time in his 27-year career he was not among the top 100.

"That was my worst year ever out here and I didn't like that," Haas said. "I didn't like the feeling that I had. I didn't like playing. I didn't like going to the tournaments. If I missed (the cut), that's okay, I didn't want to go. And I didn't like that feeling.

"This is all I've known, this is all I've ever done. And I kiddingly say I've made a list of things I could do other than play and it was zero. There's nothing on the list. I'm not qualified for anything.

"Just to be in that locker room and see the best players in the world and compete against them, I wanted to do that longer. I wanted to continue on. So that's my goal, I guess, do it as long as I can."