Nicklaus and Watson have big first day

Courtesy of The Sports Network

Defending champions Jack Nicklaus and Tom Watson earned eight skins and $270,000 on Saturday to take the lead after the first nine holes of the Champions Skins Game.

Loren Roberts and Gary Player won the first hole and $30,000 at the North Course at Royal Kaanapali Golf Course.

The teams of Arnold Palmer and Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen and Fuzzy Zoeller were shut out on Saturday.

Player and Roberts struck first. Player spun his team's approach to nine feet and Roberts rolled in the birdie putt for a skin and $30,000.

After the next two holes were halved, Watson hit a solid approach 10 feet from the hole at the fourth. Nicklaus stroked home the putt for three skins and $90,000.

"These greens are very difficult to read," said Nicklaus. "We had four different reads. I averaged it out and hit the edge of the cup."

At the sixth, it looked like Nicklaus and Watson would win an unlikely pair of skins. Nicklaus holed out from a bunker for birdie, but Player drained a 15- footer to halve the hole.

One hole later, Roberts made a 25-foot birdie putt to put the pressure on the three other duos. Jacobsen converted his clutch eight-footer to make the eighth worth four skins.

The eighth was halved with pars, meaning the par-three ninth was worth five skins and $180,000. All four teams left themselves with decent birdie looks, but Jacobsen's five-iron to five feet seemed like a possible winner.

Player missed from 18 feet, but Nicklaus sank a curling 15-footer for birdie. Palmer's 12-footer to prevent the defending champions from winning missed left, putting all the pressure on Zoeller.

He did not respond well.

The two-time major winner came up short from five feet, giving Nicklaus and Watson a total of eight skins and $270,000.

The format is alternate-shot and the final nine holes, worth $470,000, will be played on Sunday.