GOLF SENIOR TOUR AT INDIAN WELLS : Desert Hot, Archer Hotter With 63

The hot desert sun proved a perfect cure for George Archer’s aching back.

Archer, at 6 feet 5 the tallest golfer on the Senior PGA Tour, led the assault on the 6,476-yard Indian Wells Golf Resort course with a nine-under-par 63 under the best of conditions Friday.

The round, which included 10 birdies and a bogey, gave him a two-shot lead over Raymond Floyd after the first round of the $550,000, 54-hole Gulfstream Aerospace Invitational.

The public course replaced the exclusive Vintage Club for the 13th invitational in the desert. Although the Vintage is the favorite course of most of the 50-and-older set, the new tournament site met with almost unanimous approval.

The golfers devastated the course, about 300 yards shorter than the Vintage. Thirty-eight of the 54 were under par, including Lee Trevino, who shot a 69 in his first tournament since thumb surgery in December. The brace he wears bothered him, Trevino said, but he was glad to be playing again.

Left-hander Bob Charles and Don Bies were three shots behind Archer. Six others, among them leading money winner Al Geiberger, were at 67. Three who didn’t break par were defending champion Mike Hill and Chi Chi Rodriguez, who shot 72, and Tom Weiskopf, who struggled to a one-over-par 73 in his third senior event.

Archer, who had a history of back problems on the regular tour, did not appear confident when he teed off. He said his back was stiff and his left leg bothered him.

Archer, who lives in Incline Village in Lake Tahoe, bought a home in Indian Wells a year ago.

“I don’t spend much time in the house,” Archer said. “So when I got up to close a window because the wind was blowing so hard Wednesday night, I fell over something, hurt my back and my leg. I can’t get loose.”

By the second hole, that was no longer true. He started a string of three birdies and five in six holes with a 15-foot putt. On the back nine, he had four birdies in the first five holes. Among his birdie putts were a 30-footer and a 20-footer.

Although Geiberger has been a model of consistency this year and has won both Southern California tournaments, Floyd, with a new putter, may be the golfer to watch here.

Last year, he became the first to win an event on the regular and senior tours in the same year. But late in the year he lost his putting touch.

In four senior events and two on the regular tour this year, Floyd’s putting has kept him from winning anything. Friday, though, he unveiled his new putter, one made to his specifications.

Although he missed two short putts and rimmed a couple of others, he said he had finally rounded the corner on the greens.

“Compared to my putting for a long time, this was outstanding,” he said. “I finally can see the light.

“The first thing, to get out of a putting slump, is to feel comfortable. Then you have to start dropping putts. Until you do, you won’t regain your confidence. I had chances at three eagles on the par-fives. If they had dropped I would have had a sensational round. But anybody can say that.”

Asked if he planned to switch tours frequently, Floyd said, “Right now, I’m scheduled to play in three majors, the Tradition, the Masters and the Senior PGA.

“After the PGA senior, I will make a decision. I will concentrate on one or the other tour. I don’t know which right now.”