Watson and Hass a stroke back of leader
TIMONIUM, MD. — After a career on the fringes of professional golf, Lonnie Nielsen has discovered his pot of gold on the Champions Tour. In six years, Nielsen has won two events and more than $4.8 million.
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Thursday in the Constellation Energy Senior Players Championship, Nielsen fired a 5-under-par 65 to take a one-stroke lead over Tom Watson and Jay Haas. Even after his success on the Champions Tour, it’s heady company for the former Director of Golf at Crag Burn Golf Club in the suburbs of Buffalo.
“I can think of better guys I’d rather have chasing me than Tom Watson and Jay Haas,” said Nielsen, 56. “A course like this, the cream’s gonna rise to the top.”
In 138 events on the PGA and Nationwide tours, Nielsen made $133,805. By contrast, Watson, 60, and Haas, 55, have earned more than $22 million and $24 million respectively.
On a glorious, sunny, breezy day, the East Course at Baltimore Country Club played tough as just 20 of 78 players broke par. Nielsen (31), Watson (31) and Haas (32) did most of their damage on the front nine, before holding serve on the back.
“I did what you have to do on this course,” said Watson. “The back nine is tougher than the front.”
With his 22-year-old son, Andy, helping him read putts, Nielsen made eight birdies, jump-starting his round with back-to-back 8-footers at No. 2 and No. 3. He also dropped consecutive 6-footers for birdie at No. 14 and No. 15. In between, Nielsen rolled in a pair of 15-footers as well as birdie putts from 20 and 35 feet.
“I was lucky today,” said Nielsen. “When I hit a good shot, I hit it in the right place, underneath the hole. That was really the key to the day, having so many putts up the hills.”
Watson, meanwhile, was lighting up the East Course, making five birdies on the first 12 holes to take the lead and threaten the course record of 64. But after making four putts from 15 feet or longer, Watson’s putting stroke abandoned him. He 3-putted the severely-sloped 13th green for a bogey. He also missed birdie putts of 8 and 3 feet on No. 16 and No. 18 respectively.
Still, Watson was happy with his round.
“In the pro-am (Wednesday), I played like Sam Sausage,” joked Watson. “But today I made some good putts. It was a good day all around.”
