Senior PGA Event at Newport Beach Begins Today With Strong Field

The Senior PGA Tour makes its second stop in the Southland in three weeks starting today at Newport Beach Country Club.

George Archer will defend his title at the Toshiba Senior Classic, but on a different course. Last year, he shot a 64 on the final day at Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa to beat Dave Stockton and Tom Wargo by one stroke.

The field is one of the senior tour’s strongest so far this year, lured in part by the first $1-million purse of 1996. Seventeen of the top 20 money winners from 1995 and 16 of the top 20 on the current list are playing.

Among the leading players are Bob Murphy, who has won a tour-leading $302,467 in five events; No. 2 Hale Irwin, who has won $266,925 in four; Walter Morgan, who beat Gary Player in a playoff two weeks ago at Ojai; and Lee Trevino, who has fully recovered from neck surgery that affected him much of last year.

Newport Beach’s tree-lined, 43-year-old course is a par 71 over 6,598 yards and puts a premium on straight play. Trevino said this week’s rain has softened the greens, making it easier to hold approach shots, even from the rough.