Former teaching pro Jones in the hunt at Ginn Championship

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PALM COAST, Fla. -- Unlike the Tom Watsons and Tom Kites of the Champions Tour, Gene Jones never made a name for himself on the PGA TOUR.

A wrist injury sidelined Jones for many years, cutting short his TOUR golf career. So the Orlando, Fla., resident began teaching golf with his father, well-known golf instructor Gene Jones. Still, teaching wasn't the same as playing.

Levy/PGA TOUR

Gene Jones.

Gene Jones

Through 18 holes

STATS Rnd1 TOT RANK* EAGLES -- 0 N/A BIRDIES 5 5 T7 PARS 12 12 T15 BOGEYS 1 1 T69 DOUBLE BOGEYS -- 0 N/A OTHER -- 0 N/A DRIVING ACCURACY 57 57.1 T44 DRIVING DISTANCE 279.5 279.5 T20 PUTTS PER ROUND 26 26.0 T8 PUTTS PER GIR 1.667 1.667 T14 GREENS IN REG 67 66.7 T10 SAND SAVES 100 100.0 T1

"I couldn't play any and started teaching a little bit. He was kind enough to take me in -- we do a lot of (golf-related) video work," the younger Jones said about his dad. "I started teaching (but) I was really missing the game. It was brutal. I got back into playing a little bit and then one day my wrist quit hurting."

Jones worked his way back into shape with wrist surgeries and eventually returned to professional golf. This week at the Ginn Championship at Hammock Beach, he's playing on the Champions Tour with Watson, Kite and a host of other legendary names.

"It's just unbelievable really," Jones said. "I know most of them and I know how great these players are. It just feels good. When you are hitting the ball beside Tom Watson and Tom Kite, it's an amazing feeling.

"They've already proved what they can do. Me, on a different world, I've proved myself. It's really sweet to be out here and be with those guys. A lot of guys knew me when I played on the PGA TOUR in 1993."

The different world he's referring to is the Sunbelt Senior Tour, where Jones has been the man for the past three years.

That tour's leading money winner in 2005, 2006 and 2007, Jones proved Friday that he belongs with the big boys. A first-round 4-under 68 has him tied for fourth, two strokes back of leader Lonnie Nielsen.

What's even more impressive is that Jones is even here. He has no status on the Champions Tour this season. Though he tied for first at the Champions Tour's National Qualifying Tournament in 2007, he still has to qualify for each event in 2008.

On the PGA TOUR the top-30 finishers in the annual Qualifying Tournament earn guaranteed cards for the next year. The Champions Tour, however, rewards its highest finishers by giving them an opportunity to play their way into the tournaments through Monday or Tuesday qualifiers.

Of seven events this season, Jones has played in four. He qualified for The ACE Group Classic and tied for eighth. Based on the Champions Tour rules, that top-10 finish got him into the Toshiba Classic the next week. He then tied for 20th at the AT&T Champions Classic.

After qualifying with dual rounds of 68 in the Monday and Tuesday qualifier prior to the Ginn Championship and then carding another 68 in the first round, Jones is confident about his chances this weekend.

"I just played well all day. Everything flowed. I shot 4-under and feel like I should have shot 7- or 8-under, to be honest with you," Jones said.

He would have been 5-under if not for a three putt on his penultimate hole. Jones missed a 15-footer for birdie, then followed that up by missing a two-foot par putt. He finally sent a four-footer home for bogey.

"The greens are getting a little firm and crusty," he said. "I don't know how I missed it to be honest with you ... On Tuesday, these greens were as fast as you could ever hope for. I got up on No. 8 and they were rolling the greens. I look at the guy rolling the greens and said, 'You know they are quick enough, you don't even need to roll them'."

On No. 9 -- his last hole since he began on No. 10 -- he made a huge par save, which prevented him from losing ground going into the second day.

"It's always good to know on this course that you can save strokes," Jones said. "Nobody is going to hit all the greens. You are going to have to hit wedge and putt some on this course with these windy conditions. I laid it on the middle of a couple of greens and it just rolled back."

The wind changes quite frequently on the ocean-side holes at Hammock Beach, which is appropriately named the Ocean Course. Those ever-changing conditions mean the course can play differently each day. Though he lives nearby, Jones had never played the course prior to this week but appreciates all that it offers.

"It is really just a beautiful course," he said. "It is a shot-making course because you really have to position the ball in a good place on the greens so you don't have to make too hard of a putt."

Being in contention isn't enough for Jones -- he wants to win. His confidence has been building up over the past few weeks so Jones just wants to savor his time here and, just maybe, capture a victory.

"The nice thing about this is I've done the other thing and had a real job," he said. "I really do appreciate it. I finished 20th last week and made almost $20,000. It's really cool out here. I wouldn't say it's a dream come true because I kinda knew what to expect before coming out here but it's really cool. It's nice to play with these guys and hit balls with them.

"I'm in heaven and it's a real good feeling."