Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Colbert able replacement for Nicklaus in Skins

Brian Hilderbrand's golf notebook appears Wednesday. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at [email protected] or 259-4089.

Jim Colbert's doctors told him it would take a year to fully recover from his June 1997 surgery for prostate cancer, but the Las Vegas resident didn't believe them.

Colbert, a fitness fanatic who worked out regularly before he was diagnosed with the cancer, naively felt he would be able to return more quickly to the form that allowed him to dominate the Senior PGA Tour in 1995 and 1996.

Now, 19 months after his successful surgery, Colbert looks back on his 1998 campaign and realizes the doctors were right.

"I had the operation on June 23, 1997, and all the doctors will tell you that it takes a full year to recover from major surgery -- whether it is prostate cancer or whatever," Colbert said.

"I didn't believe it. (I thought) that's for normal people sitting in an office."

Upon his return to the Senior Tour later that year, Colbert quickly realized his doctors knew best.

"As hard as I worked, I had days where I was tired," Colbert said during a teleconference to promote his appearance in this weekend's Senior Skins Game. "Some days I would get tired on the last few holes. Instead of hopping in a cart, I said, 'I have to get through this ... so I won't get tired the next time.'

"As I played last year and I got into late summer and the fall, I didn't wake up one day and (feel) tired. It was almost a year to the day that I quit having a bad day once in a while."

Colbert capped his comeback last fall by winning The Transamerica in Northern California, and is coming off a second-place finish in last weekend's Mastercard Championship in Hawaii.

"I have high hopes for 1999," Colbert said. "I'd like to get off to a fast start."

Colbert will be making only his second appearance in the Senior Skins Game this weekend after replacing Jack Nicklaus in the made-for-TV event that will be televised by ABC.

Colbert said he is looking forward to playing against five-time defending champion Raymond Floyd, Arnold Palmer and Hale Irwin.

"When they invited me, it didn't take me five seconds to accept," Colbert said. "I am very happy to play in the Senior Skins Game."

Even if Colbert is a last-minute invitee -- something he said he has become accustomed to.

"In my first year on the (PGA Tour), I was in Las Vegas and one of the tour officials asked me if I would play in the pro-am because one of the (pros) couldn't make it.

"So, I walked to the first tee and these (amateurs) gave me a funny look. I asked them who they were supposed to play with and they said, 'Arnold Palmer.' They were a little disappointed. Now, 30 years later, I'm taking Nicklaus' place."

The Senior Skins Game will be televised from 2:30 to 5 p.m. on Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Sunday.

* TPC SHOP HONORED: The pro shop at the Tournament Players Club at The Canyons was the only Southern Nevada facility to be listed among Golf Shop Operations' "America's 100 Best Golf Shops" for 1999.

The golf trade publication lists 20 shops in five different categories for its annual listing: private, resort, privately owned daily fee, municipal and off-course. The TPC at The Canyons was listed among the 20 best shops in the "privately owned daily fee" section.

The only other Nevada golf shop to be honored by the magazine was the Red Hawk Golf Club in Sparks. It also was listed among the best privately owned daily fee golf shops.

* LOCAL APPOINTMENTS: Canyon Gate Country Club general manager Kimball Dempsey has been elected to a two-year term on the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association's board of directors. ...

Clay Meininger has been named director of golf at The Revere at Anthem, the first of four new daily-fee golf course planned at Del Webb's Sun City Anthem Community in Henderson.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour continues its West Coast swing this week with the Phoenix Open at the TPC of Scottsdale. Jesper Parnevik is the defending champion of the tournament, which will be televised Thursday and Friday by the USA Network and on the weekend by CBS. ...

The Senior PGA Tour is idle this week but Raymond Floyd, Arnold Palmer, Hale Irwin and Jim Colbert will be competing in the Senior Skins Game at the Mauna Lani Resort in Hawaii. ABC will televise the first nine holes on Saturday (2:30-5 p.m.) and the final nine on Sunday (10 a.m.-12:30 p.m.). ...

The LPGA Tour is in Florida this week for The Office Depot at Ibis Golf and Country Club in West Palm Beach. Helen Alfredsson won last year's tournament, her first tour win since 1994. The Golf Channel will televise all four rounds today through Saturday.

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