[SWFlaGolfer]

WAILEA, Hawaii - Peter Jacobsen has won seven times on the PGA Tour and hoisted two trophies on the Champions Tour, earning more than $9 million in his career. Still, one of his biggest highlights will come Monday — when he will play alongside Arnold Palmer at the Champions Skins Game.

Jacobsen is paired with Palmer in a four-team field featuring some of the top golfers in history including Jack Nicklaus, Tom Watson, Gary Player, Hale Irwin, Raymond Floyd and Dana Quigley.

“Winning tournaments is all great, these guys have all won tournaments. But what it boils down to is having the opportunity to walk the fairways with your heroes, with the true champions of the game,” Jacobsen said.

The elite eight has combined to win 561 tournaments worldwide — including 49 majors — and more than $100 million.

“Well, I suppose you could do worse,” Palmer said. “That’s a pretty heavy group with that many victories.”

Jacobsen, 51, and Quigley, 58, are making their Skins Game debut. They are the only participants without a major championship victory, and the only ones not in the Hall of Fame.

“You’re looking at players right here who have dominated the game for 50 years,” Jacobsen said. “These individuals are the kind of players who I have not only tried to pattern my game on the course, but my demeanor on and off the course.”

Palmer, the oldest in the group at 76, said he hopes to do his share.

“I just hope I can keep him from being embarrassed by my poor golf,” said Palmer, a crowd favorite at Sunday’s pro-am.

This is the 18th Skins appearance in 19 years for Palmer, who won the event in 1990, ’92 and ’93.

Nicklaus, 66, whose back was visibly giving him trouble during the pro-am, voiced the same concerns as Palmer. The defending champion is teamed with Watson, the 2004 Skins Game champion.

“I am glad that I have somebody that can carry me,” Nicklaus said. “I think that Arnold and Gary and I all have somebody to carry us. Raymond is still a little bit in there, so I think that is going to be a pretty tough team with Dana.”

The youngsters said they were just honored to be playing alongside their heroes and former rivals. Quigley admitted being a little intimidated.

“Once the competition starts and once the ball is in the air, I’ll be as tough as any of them out there,” said Quigley, the 2005 Champions Tour player of the year. “The intimidation factor is only prior to the event. You get out there inside the ropes and I’ll be just fine.”