Archer’s Second Chance Pays Off

George Archer made only one change when he played the 17th hole at Newport Beach Country Club for a second time Saturday.

Archer, who was in a playoff with Lee Trevino in the Georgia-Pacific Super Seniors event for players 60 and older, took his rain jacket off before hitting his tee shot on the hole, which had been disastrous for him 30 minutes earlier. The first time through Archer hit a four-iron off the toe of his club. His ball ended up in the water and he made a double bogey.

This time Archer hit a crisp four-iron 25 feet left of the hole and made the birdie putt to win the event and $34,000.

“I just took my coat off,” Archer said. “I wish my caddie had thought of it earlier.”

Archer’s winning putt came after Trevino had hit a good-looking putt that hit the back of the cup and bounced out.

“It was hard to putt,” Archer said, “because it was so cold today. But it was fun playing with Lee.”

Archer appeared to have the title well in hand the first time he arrived at the 17th tee. He held a three-shot lead over Trevino, who was one of his playing partners.

Archer’s tee shot hit the bank short of the green and rolled back into the water.

He dropped twice but each ball rolled into the water.

“I don’t know why they make you drop new balls into the water,” Archer said. “I’m going to start carrying range balls.”

He was finally allowed to place the ball and chipped to about eight feet. “I hit a good putt but it just didn’t go in,” Archer said.

Trevino, who earned $25,500 for second place, made par to pull within one shot and then they headed to 18. Both hit three strong shots and were each about five feet below the hole. Archer missed by a couple of inches and Trevino made his putt to force the playoff.

It was the second time the two had battled down the stretch this season. They played together during the final round of the first tour event in Hawaii. Archer made a birdie on the 17th hole to go two up and he won the tournament.

The victory in Hawaii made the 60-year-old Archer the eighth-oldest person to win a tournament on the senior tour.

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Swing shift: Archer had picked up two shots on one hole on Trevino earlier in the round when both played the par-four seventh. Archer hit the ball in the middle of the fairway and Trevino’s tee shot landed in the left rough.

Trevino’s second shot hit a tree and luckily landed in the middle of the fairway. Archer’s second was just short of the green.

Trevino then hit about eight feet past the pin. Archer rolled in the birdie from about 27 feet and Trevino just missed and made bogey.

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Early risers: In an effort to dodge today’s forecast rain, tournament officials have moved tee times up 30 minutes to 7:45 a.m. and will send groups off No. 1 and No. 10. The intervals between groups will also be reduced from 10 to nine minutes.

The final group will tee off at 9:33 a.m. and play is expected to conclude about 2 p.m. barring weather delays. ESPN will televise the event on tape delay from 3 to 4:30 p.m.

Course superintendent Ron Benedict is pleased with the way the course is holding up so far. “We’re fine as long as [the rain] doesn’t get any harder than it did today,” he said.

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Today’s Pairings

Starting times for today’s final round of the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club:

FROM FIRST TEE

7:45 a.m.--Rocky Thompson, Walter Zembriski, Frank Conner.

7:54--Calvin Peete, Hugh Baiocchi, Buzz Thomas.

8:03--Brian Hayes, J.C. Snead, David Graham.

8:12--Dana Quigley, Gary McCord, Bruce Summerhays.

8:21--Isao Aoki, Bob Eastwood, Bob Dickson.

8:30--Steve Veriato, Jim Colbert, Bruce Fleisher.

8:39--Kermit Zarley, Hale Irwin, Bob Charles.

8:48--Jose Maria Canizares, Hubert Green, Walter Hall.

8:57--Lee Trevino, Jim Ahern, George Archer.

9:06--Tom Jenkins, Dave Eichelberger, Larry Nelson.

9:15--John D. Morgan, Graham Marsh, Joe Inman.

9:24--Roy Vucinich, John Mahaffey, Bill Brask.

9:33--Allen Doyle, Jim Thorpe, Howard Twitty.

FROM 10TH TEE

7:45 a.m.--Walt Morgan, Terry Dill, Al Geiberger.

7:54--Jim Albus, John Jacobs, Tommy Aaron.

8:03--Tom McGinnis, David Lundstrom, Dale Douglass.

8:12--Larry Ziegler, Leonard Thompson, Tom Kite.

8:21--Chi Chi Rodriguez, Jerry McGee, Mike McCullough.

8:30--Ed Dougherty, Butch Baird, Fred Gibson.

8:39--Dean Overturf, Lanny Wadkins, Ray Carrasco.

8:48--Orville Moody, John Bland, Dave Stockton.

8:57--Harold Henning, Dave Hill, Bob Lendzion.

9:06--Gene Littler, Jay Sigel, Jim Dent.

9:15--Bob Duval, Tom Shaw, Tom Wargo.

9:24--Miller Barber, DeWitt Weaver, Arnold Palmer.

9:33--Don Bies, Kikuo Arai, Jimmy Powell.