GOLF / DAN HAFNER : Geiberger to Defend Ojai Title

If it’s early in the year and the golf tournament is in Southern California, Al Geiberger is a strong threat to win it all.

The former USC player, now in his eighth season on the Senior PGA Tour, is confident he can shake off injury problems and retain his championship in the $550,000 GTE West tournament. The first full-field senior event of the year in the Southland will be held at Ojai Valley Inn March 4-6, and most of the top players on the 50-and-older circuit will be there to challenge him.

Geiberger has won nine tournaments on the tour and most have come early, in his home area. Geiberger, who lives in Solvang, has scored all but three of those victories in the West. Even on the regular tour, Geiberger recalled, he never won in Florida.

“I grew up on bent grass greens,” he said. “And most of my friends show up when I play in the area, but I really don’t know why I do so well here. I keep telling myself that I putt much better on Bermuda grass greens than I used to, but I still haven’t won in Florida.”

Sometime this season, Geiberger will have to take time off for surgery because of a rotator cuff tear in his right shoulder.

“Right now, it doesn’t hurt as much as (my) heel,” Geiberger said from his home in Solvang while resting his injuries for a week. “Doctors say the heel will heal (without surgery), but the rotator cuff won’t.

“It is a dilemma. The problem is how bad a tear it is. If it’s only slight, arthroscopic surgery can clean it up and I’ll only be out three months. If it’s a mess in there, I’ll be out six months.

“The only time it hurts is at the top of the backswing when I stretch and (at) the end of the follow-through. It would make it easier to make the decision if I could repeat at Ojai. Otherwise, I hope I can make it through half of the year, at least, (without an operation).

“The real pain is in the heel. I’ve tried cortisone and orthopedics. They wrap it before a round in the fitness tent, and it feels great for about 12 holes. It doesn’t help to ride a cart, because it starts hurting every time I get out of the cart.”

Actually, it was somewhat of a surprise that Geiberger won at Ojai last year. He usually plays better on long, demanding courses. But he conquered the short and tight Ojai Valley layout.

“It’s really a position course,” Geiberger said. “You can’t get greedy or you’ll pay the price. The birdies are out there, and the key is just to give yourself enough chances.

“I do believe that the shoulder injury has cut down a bit on the distance of my drives, but that shouldn’t be a problem at Ojai.”

What figures to be a problem, though, is the competition. Isao Aoki, who faltered at the finish last year to lose by two shots; Dave Stockton, the senior golfer of the year; Bob Murphy; George Archer; Jim Colbert and Bob Charles figure to contend at Ojai. And Arnold Palmer, who had one of his finest tournaments there a year ago, will also be there.

“Neither of my injuries occurred when I was playing golf,” Geiberger said. “The shoulder injury came when my son, John, and I were trying to figure out which of us had the longer reach. We were stretching toward the ceiling in a room a little over a year ago. An hour or so later, I felt pain. That was the start of it. The heel injury came during the Senior Open when I was high-stepping up some stairs as part of my exercise program. The heel doesn’t hurt when I swing, only when I walk. I try taking a week or two off, but the only thing that would help is to stay in bed, and I can’t do that.”

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Golf Notes

Although Senior PGA Tour officials say no decision has been made, Tom Kite said the seniors will have their own Tournament of Champions, ending their association with the PGA Tour at La Costa. . . . A spin-off series is planned for those who don’t qualify for the Senior PGA Tour. It would include 15 tournaments.