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 The Tour's veteran renaissance continued in Hartford as Peter Jacobsen fearlessly stiffed a wedge at the watery 17th to seal his victory
By Peter Krause
The PGA Tour has been stuck in a time warp this season as an army of rejuvenated old fogies -- Scott Hoch, Jay Haas, Fred Couples, Kenny Perry, Tom Watson, Craig Stadler and Peter Jacobsen -- have played some of the best golf of their lives. Watching these mostly self-taught fortysomethings shine has been uplifting, and not just because I'm Jacobsen's age, 49, and gearing up for this fall's Champions tour Q school. The veterans have shown that the Tour's old-fashioned route to success -- patiently digging a game out of the dirt -- is at least as effective as the 21st-century method, in which a team of swing, mind and fitness gurus are under pressure to produce immediate stardom. Coming up the hard way also teaches something no coach can give you: heart and desire. Jacobsen was fearless during a tense final round at the Greater Hartford Open. On the 15th hole he flew a pitch over the green into thick rough, but hit a clutch recovery to three feet and made par. At 17, Jacobsen held a slim two-shot lead over his playing partner, Chris Riley, who hit a terrific approach to 10 feet. Jacobsen topped that with the shot of the tournament: a three-quarter swing sand wedge from 103 yards (above) that landed 15 feet past the flag and spun back to four feet, setting up the birdie that iced a victory for the ages.
Peter Krause teaches at Bunker Hills Golf Club in Coon Rapids, Minn. and is a Golf Magazine Top 100 Teacher. Issue date: August 4, 2003
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Courtesy of CBS
