Toshiba Senior Classic: Littler, 69, shooting his age

Richard Dunn

NEWPORT BEACH - Nicknamed “the machine” because of his smooth tempo

swinging a golf club, veteran Gene Littler is no young buck on the Senior

PGA Tour.

But Littler, a former U.S. Open champion who will turn 70 on July 21, is

shooting his age on the golf course.

The second-oldest player in the field for the sixth annual Toshiba Senior

Classic at Newport Beach Country Club, behind only 70-year-old legend

Arnold Palmer, Littler is coming on strong in 2000.

In the season-opening Royal Caribbean Classic at Key Biscayne, Fla.,

Littler shot a first-round 69, and, although he’s almost 10 years older

than some golfers on the 60-and-over Super Seniors and 20 years beyond

the rookies on the senior tour, he finished tied for 25th in the overall

field, earning $10,257.

“Theoretically, I guess it should get easier (to shoot your age) as you

get older,” Littler said with a warm laugh. “It’s fun to do. And right

now I’m healthy.”

Littler, who won the U.S. Amateur in 1953, a year before Palmer, has

suffered through a series of physical problems in his career, including a

four-year period in his 60s in which he underwent eight surgeries for

various ailments.

“Shoulders, knees, arms -- you name it,” Littler said, “and it’s hard to

come back in your 60s.”

Littler’s last surgery was three years ago on his right rotator cuff,

which was extremely difficult to recover from, and, trying to compensate

for pain often forces a player into bad habits with the golf swing.

“Sometimes, you don’t even know where you are because (the pain) is so

great,” said Littler, who won 29 titles on the PGA Tour, including the

1961 U.S. Open at Oakland Hills Country Club by one stroke.

Littler has played every year at the Toshiba Classic, including the

inaugural at Mesa Verde Country Club in 1995. His best finish came in

1996, when he fired a three-under-par 68 in the final round to end the

tournament at one-under 212 and win $10,500.

“It’s a challenge trying to get better. I know I’m not going to get

better than I was at age 25, but I’ve gotten better the last couple of

years,” said Littler, who, at 68 and oldest player in last year’s Toshiba

field, shot a respectable 72-73-74 to finish at six-over.

Littler, who lives in Rancho Santa Fe, about an hour away from Newport

Beach, said he plans to play in all 18 Georgia-Pacific Super Senior

events in 2000.

“I just keep playing, basically because I have nothing else to do,” said

Littler, who is married with two grown children and one grandchild. “It’s

always a challenge to try to get better, no matter what stage you’re at,

and I feel like I can always play better.”

Littler, who enjoys classic automobiles, has eight Senior PGA Tour titles

in his career and still holds the senior tour record for the lowest

nine-hole score, an eight-under-par 28. He has also won 15 Super Senior

events in his career.

A member of the PGA Hall of Fame and World Golf Hall of Fame, Littler

came close to two other major championships in his career. In 1977, he

lost in a playoff to Lanny Wadkins in the PGA Championship, and he fell

to Billy Casper in an 18-hole playoff at the 1970 Masters, the last

18-hole playoff at Augusta National.

In addition to his injuries as a super senior, Little underwent surgery

for cancer of the lymph system in the spring of 1972 and miraculously

returned that same season in the fall.

Toshiba Senior Classic tournament director Jeff Purser said Tuesday

“we’re absolutely certain that we’re going to set the record on the

senior tour” for a one-year donation to charity.

The current standard is $938,000, raised last year by the Coldwell Banker

Burnet Classic, played at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids, Minn.,

outside Minneapolis.

“One year, the Bell Atlantic raised $1 million, but they had someone

match their funds,” Purser said. “They never made that much from the

event, so it doesn’t count.”

Organizers of the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic have been intact for 10

years, Purser added, while this is only the third year that Hoag Hospital

is the operating charity.

“We’re not only out to break the overall record (for charitable giving in

one year), we’re going to destroy it,” said Hank Adler, Toshiba Senior

Classic co-chairman.

Purser said if this week’s weather holds up and the event “gets a big

gate,” there will be at least $1 million donated to charity.

The event has raised over $1.5 million to charity, mainly Hoag Hospital,

in the first two years.