Dent’s Run on Back Nine Moves Him a Shot Behind the Leaders

Jim Dent found himself in fast company Friday at the Toshiba Senior Classic.

He was in a threesome with Jim Colbert and Tommy Aaron, but he was hardly in the same company through nine holes. Dent was three over par after nine, and Colbert, who was two under, and Aaron, at one under, were leaving him flat.

At one point Colbert and Aaron were three under, but then Dent made a run. He was five under on the back to finish at two-under 69, one shot of the lead after the first round at Newport Beach Country Club.

“They were both playing so well that I had to get going,” Dent said. “Fortunately, I got stronger after nine. Things started to work out.”

Quickly.

Dent dropped a long putt on No. 10 for a birdie. He then closed the gap with birdies on Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 17.

“He had a chance on the 18th, too, and just missed,” said Colbert, who shared the lead after the first day. “He didn’t do anything spectacular, he just played really solid.”

Actually, Dent did have a handful of spectacular moments.

Dent, one of the senior tour’s longest hitters, got himself in trouble three times on the back nine. Each time he worked himself out of the jam.

On the 492-yard, par-five 15th, his second shot landed in the gallery well to the right of the green. Dent chipped to within five feet and made the putt for birdie.

On 437-yard 16th, Dent’s drive ended 25 feet off the fairway. But he reached the green in two and made par.

On 18, his approach shot again landed in the gallery, this time short and to the left. He again made a nice chip, through two palm trees, and two-putted for par.

“Fortunately, I never got stymied,” Dent said. “I never got myself behind a tree or too far off. That’s when it gets really tough.”

Dent’s two under was his second-best first round this season. He was six under after the first round in Naples, Fla., in February. He finished eight under and tied for 12th in that event.

Dent won only one tournament last year, holding off Bob Murphy to win the BellSouth Senior in Nashville. This season, his best finish was in the Royal Caribbean, where he shot par 213 and tied for 10th.

“I’ve played well this year,” Dent said. “I’ve been in the top 10 and had a couple of good finishes.”

His game Friday didn’t seem to be headed in that direction at first.

A birdie on the third hole pulled him even, but bogeys on Nos. 5, 6 and 9 left him three down and fading.

“I was playing with good competition,” Dent said. “You have to play well to keep up. The putt on 10 got me going. From there, I made a few putts and got back in it.”