Tapie Ties Gilder, Powers at 66 for First-Round Lead at Carmel

CARMEL — Alan Tapie, a teaching pro in Southern California, and PGA Tour veterans Bob Gilder and Greg Powers, all shot scrambling rounds of 66 Wednesday and shared a 2-stroke lead after 18 holes of the $250,000 Spalding Invitational Pro-Am golf tournament.

A non-winner in 14 years on the tour, Powers had 3 consecutive birdies in his 5-under-par round at Carmel Valley Golf and Country Club.

“It was the most satisfying round I’ve had this early in a season in 3, 4 years,” said Powers, of Tallahassee, Fla. “Everything I hit close, I holed. I was very, very pleased.”

Tapie, a former touring pro who played at USC and is now an instructor at Laguna Hills Country Club, used a newly developed, round-faced putter for the first time in competition and fashioned a round of 66. It included 6 birdies against 1 double-bogey at par-70 Carmel Valley Ranch.

“I started to putt well,” said Tapie, who was given the new putter a week ago by a friend. “The idea is that you can get a good stroke wherever you hit it. But I just like the way it looks.”

Gilder shot a 5-birdie, 1-bogey round at Carmel Valley Ranch. Gilder, of Corvallis, Ore., has won 6 PGA tournaments and the non-tour Kapalua International last November in Hawaii.

Six players shot 68s--tour veterans Craig Stadler, Roger Maltbie and Dave Barr; local club pro Ted Goin; former Ohio State All-American Robert Huxtable, and Rob Boldt, son of PGA Seniors Tour golfer Bob Boldt.

Former winner Johnny Miller shot a 69 at Carmel Valley Ranch, and defending champion Lennie Clements had a par 72 at Poppy Hills, the most difficult of the 3 courses.

The 72-hole, non-tour tournament continues for the next 2 days at all 3 courses.