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Qualifier Johnson gets into lead, but missed birdies start downfall

By BRUCE LOWITT

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 19, 2001

LUTZ -- Now Doug Johnson dives back into the qualifying pool.

"If you're playing good enough to win or come close to winning here, Mondays get easier," said Johnson, an Ocala resident who shared the Verizon Classic lead at 7 under par through 10 holes Sunday before cooling off, then flaming out.

Johnson, whose golfing career began in 1972 when his car broke down in Tampa as he drove south from his home outside Green Bay, Wis., made the event at TPC of Tampa Bay as a Monday qualifier. It was his second senior tournament.

He lost five strokes to par on the back nine to finish at 2-under 211 and earn a $25,200 paycheck, considerably less than what he might have made had he not missed birdies on Nos. 13 and 14, double-bogeyed No. 15 and bogeyed Nos. 16 and 17. He would have earned double that amount without the double bogey.

"The money doesn't really mean anything to me," said Johnson, who has spent half his golfing life as a qualifier, usually fighting 143 other players for the week's four available tournament berths. "As dumb as it may seen, I would have given up the ($210,000) winner's check just to have an exemption this year.

"When I chipped in on 10, that was the first time I got excited. I didn't quite make the birdies on 12 and 13, and both of them were as good as any putts I hit all week. That hurt immensely because it didn't give me the freedom to go into those last four holes with breathing room."

CROWD PLEASER: The roar at No. 18 was as loud as any during the day -- not that it really meant anything to Chi Chi Rodriguez.

He had just drained a 50-foot putt to save par and finish at 11-over 224. No matter. The fans erupted, and Rodriguez responded with a more flamboyant than usual display of swordsmanship with his putter.

"It did more for the crowd than it did for me," he said. "I really couldn't care less. I'm going to make an extra hundred bucks. But they got a kick out of it, and that may go down as the play of the year for me."

HE MIGHT HAVE TO WAIT AWHILE: Miller Barber was duly impressed by Arnold Palmer shooting his age -- 71 -- Saturday at the Bob Hope Classic.

"Great. I was glad to see him do that," Barber said after his rounds of 75, 75 and 77. "You know, he's out there playing with all those young kids."

It had been 22 years since Sam Snead turned the trick. Who, Miller was asked, might be next? "I hope it's me," he said, laughing. Barber turns 70 March 31.

THE ONLY WAY WAS DOWN: It hasn't been the best of times in the past year for Lanny Wadkins since he became the ninth player to win his senior tour debut. He followed that with one other top-10 finish, a serious slump to end the 2000 tour and, in his previous two starts this year, ties for 27th and 43rd.

After rounds of 77 and 73, he ended with 3-under 68, totaling 5 over and tying for 37th. He could have been a stroke or two better if he had not put his second shot into the water to double bogey No. 18.

"I didn't play that much over the winter. The weather in Dallas wasn't that good," Wadkins said. "I'm just trying to get started this year.

"Today I played real good for the most part. Even the one I hit in the water was all over the pin. It just hung in the wind a little bit. Otherwise, it would have been close. ... It was a good, solid round, a good confidence builder, no question."

ATTENDANCE: Sunday's announced crowd of 55,000 brought the three-day total to 131,000. The pro-am drew 7,000 Wednesday and 10,000 Thursday.

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