Fischer Shoots 65 to Lead California Open by 4

Fresh from a bachelor party in Las Vegas, playing a course he had not seen before the tournament began and unable to take advantage of superb shotmaking early in the week, Todd Fischer of Pleasanton finds himself in an unexpected position entering the final round of the California State Open.

On top.

Fischer, who started the day tied for fourth, shot a five-under-par 65 Thursday at Coyote Hills in Fullerton and is 10 under for the tournament.

The day’s best round put Fischer four shots ahead of second-round leader Bryan Hepler of Scottsdale, Ariz. Three others are at five-under.

“If you play golf, you know you don’t try and explain it,” said Fischer, who arrived at LAX three hours before his tee time for Tuesday’s first round after attending a friend’s bachelor party last weekend. “I don’t know why I’m hitting it so good.”

Fischer admitted his game was not as crisp Thursday as it had been the first two rounds but said a suddenly-hot putter helped him make seven birdies, including three putts of 20 feet or more.

Fischer, who won the Long Beach Open last summer, hit 34 of 36 greens in regulation and had just one bogey through the first two rounds and very well could be running away with the tournament if not for an uncooperative putter.

“I didn’t make anything,” he said. “I had some chances those first two days. That’s when I should have shot some low numbers.”

Instead it came Thursday, when few others did.

Of the 17 players who entered the third round under par, only five broke par Thursday. The first two rounds produced 38 scores under par. There were 12 in the third.

The pin placements were a little trickier and the wind was a little stronger, but second-round leader Hepler said nerves were the biggest factor in his round of 72.

“To be honest I was a little nervous teeing off,” said Helper, who is playing his first 72-hole tournament of the year. “Mentally, I don’t know how to play 72 holes.”

Todd Kern of Tucson, who entered the day in second place, discovered an extra club in his bag after the first hole and called a two-stroke penalty on himself. He shot 77 to fall back into a tie for 13th, 10 shots behind Fischer.

The top Orange County player is Chad Morris of Cypress, who shot 68 Thursday and is tied with Kern at 210. Ryan Welborn of Fullerton, who qualified for and played in the U.S. Open last month, shot 66--the second-best round of the day--and is tied for 16th at 211.

*

Mike Lavery of Irvine made a 20-foot birdie putt on the final hole to win the AJGA Junior Championship at Twelve Bridges in Sacramento. Lavery, who finished at 212, had six birdies in his final-round 68. He overcame a six-shot deficit and got his first AJGA victory by one shot.