Jackson sets amateur mark

CARMEL, Ind.-- History was made on the first day of the U.S. Senior Open by 50-year-old amateur Tim Jackson, who shot a 66, the all-time low round by an amateur in the championship.

Jackson's six-under score gave him a share of the lead with Joey Sindelar, Greg Norman and Dan Forsman at Crooked Stick Golf Club and broke by two shots the Open's amateur single-round scoring record.

William C. Campbell (Winged Foot East, 1980), Ed Tutwiler (Winged Foot East, 1980), Jim Patti (Oakland Hills South, 1991) and Rick Cloninger (The Broadmoor East, 2008) shared the previous mark with 68s.

A real estate developer in Germantown, Tenn., who won the 1994 and 2001 U.S. Mid-Amateur titles and played on the 1995 and 1999 U.S. Walker Cup teams, Jackson ignored early butterflies Thursday to card a six-birdie, no-bogey score with his 15-year-old son, Austin, a budding 3-handicap golfer, alongside as his caddie.

"I was having good yardages and leaving the ball on the green with just the perfect line," said Jackson, who will be inducted into the Tennessee Golf Hall of Fame later this year. "Either just straight up the hill or straight down the hill. Not a lot of big breakers."

"I knew he'd take the nervousness and turn it into something good," said Austin, who has yet to beat his father. "I've seen him shoot plenty of low rounds, so it was another one of those days. I think he was excited about senior golf."

-*-Bill Fields *