European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - June 14, 1980, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Saturday june 14, 1980 the stars and stripes Poge 21 Nicklaus Weiskopf Lead open 63s Fie tourney record Watson has Hoe in one Jack Nicklaus taking a giant step on comeback rail. Kind of disappointed. Because  should have been a 62 b Bob ski \ Spring ii id. . Api Jack Nick Laus. Grinding a i with inc Prim lipped determination thai made him the greatest player of his time answered Tom wis Zopfs 7-Undcr-Par 6.1 with a record tying 63 of his own thursday and moved into a tic for the first round Lead in the 80th . Open Golf championship. The dizzying display b Nicklaus and Weiskopf shunted to the background such efforts As a nine Hole open record 30 by Ray Floyd and a Hole in one by Tom wat son. This ancient championship has never seen anything like .  s kind of unusual to walk off the Green in the . Open kind of disappointed because you shot 63 and  should have been 62," Nicklaus said. And  very nearly was a 62. Nicklaus playing Well behind wis Kopf. Had a Chance to shoot the lowest 1 Silicic score in the history of the most prestigious tournament in the world lie had a Chance to take the Lead alone. But he missed a 3-foot Birdie putt on the final Hole. Still  tied the record and  was a pumped up delighted Jack Nicklaus who Sal Down to discuss his play. And  was a decided change of Pace for Nicklaus. For two Long years he has patiently explained Why he was playing Well. This time he had the Chance to talk about an open re Cord. To shoot 63 in the open is something else but to shoot 63 the Way i be been playing Well. Nicklaus who has dedicated himself to a comeback from the most frustrating period of his unmatched career was aware of the birdies Weiskopf was scoring with metronome regularity on the lower course  the Baltusrol Golf club regarded by most touring pros As one of the most test ing difficult and demanding in this coun try. Anglo his Caddy Anglo Arica kept saying answer him Nicklaus said when another Weiskopf Birdie would go on the Board. And i kept ans him. He kept on Maki,.t birdies and i kept answering him. I m very very excited Weiskopf said after tying the 18-holc record set a Johnny Miller in inc last round of the l 7.l open  Oakmont.  s a tremendous feeling one of the finest rounds of Golf i be Ever  he and Nicklaus shared a 3-Strokc Lead Over Mark Hayes Lon Hinkle and Keith Fergus. Their 66 s were Good enough Lof stars a stripes sports Lead most opens but were All but Over looked this Bright sunny Spring Day. Sec Page 24 for Complete list of scores Floyd headed a group  67 that included Jay Haas and Cal a cute. Acc Trevino a two time open inner shot a 68. Me was tied with Andy North. Isao Aoki of Japan and Mark Lye. Defending Champion Hale Irwin shot a 70. Sivc balls Stvros of Spain the current British open and masters Champion struggled to a 75 that left him 12 shots Back. The big group  69 included . Snead. Mike Reid Curtis strange. Pat Mcgowan Tommy Mcginnis and Hill Rogers. Watson the outstanding player in Golf Tor the past 3 to seasons and the pre Lourna mint favorite Here made his Ace with an 8-Iron shot that rolled Back into the cup on the 162-Yard fourth Hole. I played a Good solid round of Golf said the Man who has won five lilies Al ready this season. I missed three fail Way and hit Only two bad shots which i Alicd in  he paused for a moment then offered an assessment th. eventually set the tune for the Day. The Gulf course played As easy As we re going to see  he said. Watson finished with a 71 thai Lefi him eight shots Back. But while  played very easy for Many of the game s greats there were Mill enough Subtle demands to have some stars c Omi Mii of on Page ?.? Baltusrol Tough scores Don show  by Ben Abrams staff writer Springfield . Is who s afraid of the big bad Wolf that could Nave been the theme Here thursday As mighty Baltusrol rolled Over and played dead like a perfectly trained Puppy. Baltusrol billed As 7,076 Yards of Tor Ture and inc most feared Golf course on the . Open championship venue was a Birdie Haven As perfect weather conditions Beautiful fairways and stick pm greens proved to be the players cup of Tea. Raymond Floyd set a 9-holc open re Cord with a front nine 30 and Tom wets Kopf and Jack Nicklaus matched the open Lingle round record with 7-Undcr-Par 63s. I m very very excited. Have a tremendous feeling Weiskopf said following Oil 31-32 round which matched the 63 Johnny Miller turned in during the final round of inc 1973 open  Oakmont a. A 61 is something that happens in inc open Only once in a great while. Before  has happened Only once and  be 10 years before  happens again we Tokopf added. However while Weiskopf was being interviewed in the press tent an anxious group of reporters who had crammed into the room were looking Back Over their shoulders through the doorway  the Leader Board in the Back of the pressroom.  showed that Nicklaus also was 7 under Par going into the final Hole. Bui what Weiskopf said might not Hap pen for another decade became a reality exactly 27 minutes after he had recorded his 63. Nicklaus parred inc 18th Hole for a bad nine 31 and his share of the record. Weiskopf was Happy to get his Par on 18. Nicklaus was so pleased. I made Only three bad shots All Day and the third one on 18 definitely was a bad one. I tried to gel a Little cute and flip inc shot Over the Bunker up close to the pin but i did l. Then i chipped Long but thank god my putt Winlin and i lied inc open  Weiskopf said.  s kind of unusual to come off the 18lh Green in inc . Open with a 63 and be unhappy because  was a 62. But that was inc feeling i had Nicklaus said. "1 hit a Chip shot really close and then i missed a Little 3-foot putt which i was positive i was going to make. I had that Short putt a Little Tricky one and i told myself i could gel the 62 and a . Open record by Hilling in firm. Then i told myself sure you can a i the 62, but if you catch the lop of the cup and the Ball spins away because Vou hit in Loo firmly you could gel a 64.� Well i thick Ned out and did l stroke the Ball firmly. I just missed he pull he added. Whal do you do for encores after shoot ing 63 in the opening round of inc . Open Bolh Weiskopf and Nicklaus said you go out there tomorrow and play your Best in might not be a 63, but you re in the Lead and he others have to catch you. I m not going to shoot another 63 to Morrow  least 1 Don expect that i will bul i m going Logu out there and try to keep inc Ball in play and let tomorrow take care of itself said Weiskopf. Undoubtedly there will be a lot of pressure there always is on the Leader of the tournament bul i be been playing Long enough to know what i have to do and i m going to try to do  i knew Tom was going Well because i could hear his gallery bul every Lime a cheer went up for Tom Anglo Jack s Caddy would say answer him i guess i did. Whal do 1 do for an encore who knows i know line or two things can happen. I can go nut there tomorrow and shout an other Fine round and run away and hide from inc crowd or 1 can shool a mediocre round. Hut if i do i will still be in Good position Afler 36 holes. Naturally. I m hoping fur inc former Nicklaus . Floyd said he had played a really Fine game and credited  to getting his Driver Back. He broke his Shaft five  ago and encountered difficulty gelling an Idun Lical one. He finally Gol one monday. I be been playing the tour with a three Wood off inc tee for inc past five weeks and thai makes a big difference.  s a Mailer of about 35 to 50 Yards on inc lop line and us can give that kind of Dis Tance away against inc Good golfers of to Day. I was driving As Good As i Ever have continued on Page 25