Johnson Makes Mark With 63

Turing a two-shot deficit into a three-shot lead in golf is called making a run. When Mark Johnson makes the move, it’s called a beer run.

Johnson did exactly that Saturday during the second round of the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club, where he shot an eight-under-par 63 and has a two-day total of 12-under 130.

A second-year Champions Tour member who has acquired a cult following and the nickname “Beer Man” because of his past employment as a beer truck driver, Johnson leads Keith Fergus, who shot 66 Saturday, by three.

Tom Jenkins and Wayne Levi are another shot back at eight under and Ben Crenshaw is among a group of three players at seven under.

Johnson, from Helendale, Calif., started the day two shots behind Gil Morgan but made up ground quickly with some short-game wizardry.

He made an eagle on the par-five third hole, then followed with a 40-foot birdie putt on No. 4 and a 30-footer for birdie on No. 6.

The magic didn’t stop there as he made a 35-foot birdie putt on the ninth and chipped in from 64 feet on the par-three 13th.

“Things were definitely going my way,” Johnson said.

Johnson was a highly successful amateur and quit his job delivering beer in the Barstow area six years ago so he could turn professional to prepare for the Champions Tour. He earned full-time status when he won the qualifying tournament last November.

He was one shot out of the lead after the first round last week in Valencia before a second-round 78 knocked him out of contention, but this is the first time he has led a Champions Tour event.

“Absolutely I’ll be nervous,” Johnson said. “I saw my name on the leaderboard a couple of times today and I wasn’t sure how I’d react. I just have to get used to it.”

One player who hopes he doesn’t is Fergus, who is also in his second year on the Champions Tour. Fergus, however, played 14 years on the PGA Tour and won three times.

“He’s going to be feeling pressure, there’s no doubt,” Fergus said of Johnson. “It’s up to me and the other players chasing him to make him feel it more than he wants to.”

Crenshaw, 53, a two-time Masters champion still seeking a Champions Tour breakthrough, held the lead most of the day until a double bogey at the par-three 17th hole. Still, he shot 67.

“I’ve hit some good shots and I’m playing with a little confidence, and for me, that’s a welcome change,” he said. “You have to prove to yourself that you can still play, and it’s just been a struggle.”