Trevino Loves That Back Nine at Vintage : Senior golf: After shooting a 31 Friday, he has a 32 Saturday to take three-shot lead going into tournament’s final round.

The Senior PGA Tour has moved some 3,000 miles west, bringing two trends along:

--Lee Trevino is still making a shambles of the competition; and interest in the 50-and-older set is soaring.

Trevino, a winner twice and runner-up in a third senior tournament in Florida, shot his 11th consecutive sub-par round, a five-under 67 Saturday at Vintage Country Club to take a three-stroke lead after 36 holes of the 54-hole Chrysler Vintage Invitational.

Trevino has a 133 total, 11 under par, and leads Don Massengale by three shots. Trevino is five shots ahead of Ben Smith and Jim Dent, who are at 138. Another group of five, including Gary Player and John Brodie, are at 139.

Thirty-three of the 54 pros are under par.

Through six holes of the second round, the field was close. Trevino wasn’t even the leader.

He was tied for the lead approaching the 10th tee.

Three holes later, he was back in charge. On the 10th hole, he sank an 18-footer from the fringe for a birdie. On 11, he holed a chip from high grass behind the green; and, on 12, he made an eight-footer to go 10 under.

Friday on the back nine, he birdied five of the last six holes and shot a 31. Despite a bogey on the 17th hole, he had a 32 Saturday. Trevino said a 12-foot putt on 17 for a bogey saved the day.

“On the short par three, I hit a ‘hard nine’ into the bunker,” he said. “I had a downhill lie, tried to hit it easy and left it in the bunker. The next one went 12 feet past the cup. That’s when I had a talk with myself.

“I said, ‘Don’t miss this one. You can’t let these guys get back in the tournament.’ I really went after that one.”

On the 503-yard 18th, a par five, Trevino’s drive rolled past the 280-yard marker. He then hit a five-wood to within 12 feet of the hole. His bid for an eagle lipped out.

Massengale probably echoed the feelings of most of Trevino’s pursuers when he said: “I’d feel pretty good if it wasn’t Trevino ahead of me. I’m playing quite well. He’s just uncanny. He’s playing great.”

Trevino said he is not playing perfect golf or even thinking right all the time. After sinking a three-foot birdie on the second hole, he bogeyed four and five to fall behind.

“I wasn’t playing smart on either of those two holes. On four (a 404-yard par 4) I used the wrong club and hit the ball over the green. I chipped 15 feet past the hole and charged the putt.

“I went right at the flag on the next hole--a par three--with a six-iron. I went to the right but had a two-foot putt for the par. It was the worst putt I’ve made in months. I didn’t even get close. I don’t think I ever four-putted, but I almost did.”

He birdied the 521-yard, par-five sixth hole and, at that time, Brodie, Massengale, Dent, Rives McBee and Mike Hill were all tied with Trevino at six under.

Trevino was just waiting for the back nine to light up the board.

Although no crowd count was given, the increase in attendance in recent years has been dramatic. There were several thousand spectators following Trevino, whose gallery appeared to be larger than the total for the four-day event in other years.

“We first saw the big increase in Florida,” said Bruce Crampton, who is five shots under par but probably out of contention. “I know the presence of Trevino has something to do with it, but I also believe golf fans have decided we are worth watching. It is really exciting to see the big crowds.”

This is the 10th year of the Vintage, which began as a TV event when the Senior Tour was in its infancy. Only a few people were allowed to watch live. Through the years, it has seemed to discourage attendance. Now, it can’t stop the flow.

Defending champion Miller Barber was elated after shooting a 67 for a 140. Last year Barber started out with a victory, a second, an eighth and a third before winning here. But, in June, a freak accident almost ended his season.

“I finally feel right,” Barber, 58, said. “I have started my comeback.”