Walt Zembriski

Courage is a much overused word in my profession. It has been used to describe everything from boldly going for a green over 200 yards of water to trying to slip a fastball past Henry Aaron with the bases loaded. Some people think courage is facing down a lion with a high-powered rifle and scope sight, but others know that it's staring down at one with nothing more than a short spear and a flimsy shield.

Walt Zembriski has had some success on the Senior PGA Tour, and he said he will be the subject of a book. Asked the title, Zembriski said with a straight face: "The Iron Man." That would seem appropriate for the game he plays, but it doesn't suggest any club he uses. Zembriski is an iron man, having worked in construction for several years. Unlike other players who learned the game at country clubs or who were sponsored on the tour at an early age, Zembriski has come up the hard way.

Most of his fellow pros on the Senior PGA Tour call Walt Zembriski "tough." You can add bold. Instead of trying to protect his one-shot lead in the final round of the GTE West golf tournament Saturday, Zembriski continued his assault on the 6,190-yard Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club layout. Zembriski shot a final-round 65 on the par-70 course in the hills above Ventura to finish at 13 under par 197 for a two-shot victory worth $52,500.

Courage is a much overused word in my profession. It has been used to describe everything from boldly going for a green over 200 yards of water to trying to slip a fastball past Henry Aaron with the bases loaded. Some people think courage is facing down a lion with a high-powered rifle and scope sight, but others know that it's staring down at one with nothing more than a short spear and a flimsy shield.

Walt Zembriski has had some success on the Senior PGA Tour, and he said he will be the subject of a book. Asked the title, Zembriski said with a straight face: "The Iron Man." That would seem appropriate for the game he plays, but it doesn't suggest any club he uses. Zembriski is an iron man, having worked in construction for several years. Unlike other players who learned the game at country clubs or who were sponsored on the tour at an early age, Zembriski has come up the hard way.

Walt Zembriski made a hole in one on the par-three 16th hole Friday en route to a seven-under-par 65 and a three-stroke lead in the Senior Invitational at Ko Olina Resort at Honolulu. "I hit the ball with my four-iron, but I didn't know it had gone in until I got halfway down the fairway," said Zembriski of his shot on the 193-yard hole. Jim O'Hern, Bruce Crampton, Jim Ferree and Gay Brewer were tied for second at 68.

Rain and wet grounds today washed out the opening round of the Newport Cup seniors golf tournament at the Newport Country Club. As a result, the event was shortened to 36 holes from 54, with rounds to be played Saturday and Sunday. Jim Dent, a three-time winner on the Senior Tour this season, is the defending champion. The field features Lee Trevino, who has won six tournaments and more than $630,000 this season.

Mike Hill birdied the final hole Saturday to take a three-shot lead after two rounds of the Gatlin Brothers Southwest senior tournament at Fairway Oaks Country Club. Hill shot a five-under-par 67 for a two-round total of eight-under 136, three shots ahead of Bruce Crampton and Butch Baird. Gary Player, Orville Moody, John Paul Cain, John Brodie, Jim Dent, Don Massengale, Walt Zembriski and Larry Ziegler are another shot back.

Jerry McGee, Bob Charles and Bob Zimmerman shot four-under-par 68s in the Senior Players Championship on Thursday, and almost half the 78-man field shot par or better in the opening round. Dave Stockton, who has won this event two of the last three years, predicted low scoring at the year's final senior major, and he was one of seven players one stroke off the lead. The 6,876-yard TPC of Michigan, a Jack Nicklaus-designed course, is regarded as one of the toughest the seniors play.

Most of his fellow pros on the Senior PGA Tour call Walt Zembriski "tough." You can add bold. Instead of trying to protect his one-shot lead in the final round of the GTE West golf tournament Saturday, Zembriski continued his assault on the 6,190-yard Ojai Valley Inn and Country Club layout. Zembriski shot a final-round 65 on the par-70 course in the hills above Ventura to finish at 13 under par 197 for a two-shot victory worth $52,500.

Don January, the oldest player in the field, used an eagle three to help him to a five-under-par 67 and the first-round lead Friday in the season-ending Champions tournament on the Senior PGA Tour at Dorado, Puerto Rico. January, 62, was one of the founding members of the highly successful senior tour but has not won in four seasons.

Playing well again at the site of his last PGA Tour victory, Payne Stewart shot a 66 Friday to open up a three-stroke lead in the second round of the $500,000 Walt Disney golf tournament at Lake Buena Vista, Fla.. Stewart, winless since a first-place finish in the 1983 Disney, had seven birdies and one bogey on the Magnolia course for a total of 131. U.S. Open champion Ray Floyd (66) and Mike Sullivan (69) were tied for second at 134.