Surprise of the day

NEWPORT BEACH — The strut of Jim Colbert that was a trademark walk and noticeable from two fairways away has been slowed by the humility of age, but for one day, he was back prowling around Newport Beach Country Club.

His jaunt, after posting a five-under-par 66 in the first round of the Toshiba Classic Friday, didn’t include a trip to the locker room. The guys would have been waiting for him and he didn’t want to endure the teasing and harassment that surely was awaiting him from the other golfers.

“I think I’ll skip the locker room,” Colbert said laughing.

Other golfers were more than willing to pile on in his absence.

“He’s so old, sure he’s going to get it,” said Bob Gilder, who is tied with Colbert. “I mean he hasn’t been playing that well. The fact that he hasn’t been playing good and has a round like this he’s going to get a lot of static, so he probably won’t hang around much.”

Colbert would like to hang around the top of the leaderboard the next two rounds and if he plays like he did Friday, he will be.

Monday Colbert turns 68 and he celebrated early with bettering his age in the first round of the Toshiba Classic. It was the second time Colbert has shot his age or better. The other time was the 2003 Senior British Open when Colbert sunk a 35-foot putt to post a 62 in the second round. It is still the lowest round in a Champions Major Tour event.

It is hard to believe it has been 13 years since Colbert won the 1996 Toshiba Classic, part of 20 Champions Tour victories he has accumulated.

He would obviously like at least one more. Colbert hasn’t won since 2001, but is realistic when asked if he thinks he can.

“The standard answer is of course, but I hate to tell you this but my goal is to be able to tee off on the second and third round,” Colbert said tongue in cheek. “I think they have been teeing me off on 10 the first day so I can get used to where I am going to start the next two rounds.”

Colbert finished tied for 16th last year as his best finish and wants to better that mark. His first round was a great step towards that goal. He was five-under through his first four holes and his round included one eagle, eight birdies, three bogeys, one double bogey and five pars.

“I could tell I was alive,” Colbert said. “As an athlete that is what you are looking for, to get that excitement. All of a sudden shots matter and you are paying attention. You are out there trying to figure out a way to get it done. It’s kind of fun.”