Tuesday, April 23, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.
As the defending champion of the Las Vegas Senior Classic, Jim Colbert doesn't see himself as the favorite going into this week's tournament at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin.
But as a player who struggled last weekend in the PGA Seniors' Championship, Colbert just might be the most determined golfer in the 56-player field.
"Absolutely, no question," Colbert said. "For sure I'm more determined this week because you don't want that to be a habit."
"That," according to Colbert, was erratic iron play that resulted in a 10-over-par 298 and a tie for 41st place in the Senior PGA Tour major. It was a problem that plagued the 55-year-old Las Vegas resident for the first 57 holes of the 72-hole tournament.
Colbert, the 1995 Senior PGA Tour Player of the Year, opened the Seniors' Championship with a 1-over-par 73, then struggled to rounds of 76 and 75 before closing with a 74.
"It wasn't very good last week," Colbert said of his game. "I hit the irons terrible until right at the end. The last 15 holes, my caddy said, 'You know, you've got the ball so far forward ... why don't you move it back.' I said, 'Well, that's great; I've already made a double bogey and a bogey today and we've been here three days, why tell me now?'
"But I played the last 15 holes really good, so I felt pretty good about that."
Good enough that Colbert was at the TPC at Summerlin Monday afternoon to play a practice round after an exhausting cross-country flight from Florida the night before.
"That's the only reason I was playing (Monday)," Colbert said. "If I was playing bad, I wouldn't even think about it, but I played so good toward the end (Sunday) that I wanted to play again."
Although he apparently worked the kinks out of his game during the final round of the Seniors' Championship, Colbert scoffs at the notion that he should be favored to repeat as Las Vegas Senior Classic champion. His two-shot victory in last year's LVSC, he said, is a distant -- albeit pleasant -- memory.
"No, that doesn't mean a thing," Colbert said. "If you're playing good, you're going to be competitive and if you're not playing good, you're not going to be in it.
"It's like last week: I had a terrible week, but I have finished second down there before and I've finished fourth down there. I've played really well there but I didn't play well there this year. I like the course there, but I wasn't any good."
Nevertheless, Colbert has fond memories of his victory here a year ago -- his first tour win in his adopted hometown.
"It was a very satisfying win," said Colbert, a Las Vegas resident since 1981. "My grandson, Jimmy, was carrying the sign, all the family was around and all our friends were here. It was very gratifying. And when you put it against the whole year, I only won the money title by $24,000 and I won $150,000 here, so obviously we needed the W."
Chip shots ...
* LUCKY FAN: Las Vegas resident Lee Windells won a free entry into the Las Vegas Senior Classic pro-am through a drawing held by Miller Beer and Bonanza Beverage of Las Vegas. Windells, 51, entered the Miller Beer Pro-Am Giveaway drawing at Angel Park Golf Club, and his entry was drawn Monday afternoon. Bonanza Beverage held the contest at local golf courses.
* SENIOR TICKETS: Weekend passes and single-day tickets for the 11th annual Las Vegas Senior Classic are available by calling the tournament office and also will be available at the gate each day. Weekend passes are priced at $50 and single-day tickets are $15 in advance and $20 at the gate. Call 382-6616 for information.
* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour heads to North Carolina this week for the $1.5 million Kmart Greater Greensboro Open at Forest Oaks Country Club. Jim Gallagher Jr. is the defending champion of the tournament, which will be televised by the USA cable network (Thursday and Friday) and CBS (Saturday and Sunday). ... The LPGA Tour is in Tennessee for the Sara Lee Classic at the Hermitage Golf Club in Old Hickory. Michelle McGann won the $600,000 tournament last year. ... The Nike Tour is in Louisiana for the Shreveport Open at Southern Trace Country Club. Brad Fabel won last year's event.
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