There’s a “damn good” chance Jim Thorpe will cash in another winner’s check next month when he defends his title at the Commerce Bank Long Island Classic.
A two-time winner on the Champions Tour last year, Thorpe fired a bogey-free, 8-under-par round of 62 yesterday at Eisenhower Red, the same course where he won last year’s Classic and where Walter Hagen won the 1926 PGA Championship. In last year’s second round, Thorpe shot a 60, tying the Champions Tour scoring record while setting the event and course record en route to a one-shot victory over Bob Gilder.
“Damn good course,” Thorpe, 55, said at yesterday’s media-day. “There’s something about it that brings out the best in my game. Damn good.”
Playing mostly from the white tees, Thorpe played bogey-free golf, missing only a 3-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole. On 18, he rolled in a 25-footer for his eighth birdie of the day.
“I knew that was going to go in,” he said. “I could feel it.”
The Red Course he saw yesterday has undergone some changes since his last visit. Now playing 6,904 yards, the course sports four holes that are longer, including the 515-yard, par-5 third, which played as a 431-yard par 4 last year. Other changes include new tee boxes on seven and 14 and the conversion of the 12th from a short par 5 into a long par 4.
“It’s a tough driving course,” said Thorpe. “I found that out last year.”
The tournament, now in its 18th year, begins June 28 and ends July 4. Ticket sales benefit Schneider’s Children Hospital and can be purchased by calling 516-674-GOLF or by visiting any Commerce Bank on Long Island.