GOLF / SENIOR TOURNAMENT AT COSTA MESA : When Eichelberger Falters, Wargo Pounces

By DAN HAFNER

March 19, 1995 12 AM PT

TIMES STAFF WRITER

Dave Eichelberger’s putting touch deserted him Saturday at Mesa Verde Country Club in Costa Mesa, and Tom Wargo and Larry Laoretti were just waiting for it to happen.

While Eichelberger soared to a five-over-par 75 in the second round of the $800,000 Toshiba Senior Classic, Wargo shot a steady 67 for a 36-hole total of 132. Laoretti had a 68 and is one stroke behind. Eichelberger, who started the round with a two-shot lead, is six shots behind Wargo.

In a group at 135, three shots behind the leader, are Tom Weiskopf, George Archer and Bob E. Smith.

Smith, who has not won on the Senior PGA Tour, had a 65, the best score of the second round.

Dave Stockton and Jim Dent are at 136. Lee Trevino, still having trouble with his neck, is at 138.

Wargo and Laoretti, buddies for years, will be joined by Smith in the final threesome today. For Wargo, who has been one of the top seniors for the last two years, playing with the lead going into the final day is nothing new. But Smith and Laoretti are virtual strangers to it.

Smith has never finished better than 10th in a senior event. Laoretti, whose only victory was the 1992 U.S. Senior Open, can’t remember the last time he was in the last group on the last round.

Smith has been getting putting instructions, from Stockton, the best on the tour; from Bob Cisco, author of the book “The Ultimate Game of Golf,” and from George Smith, his brother. George, a former golfer, works for CBS. This week he is Bob’s caddie.

Putting put Smith into the game Saturday. He had six birdies, one of them coming on a 40-foot chip shot. He sank birdie putts of 25, 20, 15, 12 and 10 feet, plus a 15-footer to save par.

“Yesterday I felt comfortable from tee to green and shot par,” he said. “I was comfortable putting today and that was the difference.”

Laoretti made a string of long putts to start the back nine. After two bogeys on the front nine, Laoretti seemed ready to fall out of contention. But he made birdies on putts of 18, 25, 10 and 15 feet on Nos. 10-13.

Wargo, one of six seniors to win more than $1 million in 1994, did not make bogey in the first 36 holes and he didn’t make a putt longer than six feet. He didn’t miss any closer than six feet, either.

“Mostly because of all the rain, they have had some trouble with the greens,” Wargo said. “We (Wargo considers wife Irene and caddie Butch as part of his team) try not to see the bumps. But you can’t be aggressive. We didn’t charge a putt. Under the circumstances we did rather well.”

Weiskopf has been fighting the flu for two weeks. He said he felt dizzy on the third hole and had to sit down for a couple of minutes, but he recovered to shoot a 67.

“I was supposed to take the antibiotics with food, but I didn’t,” he said. “I hit my drive into the lake on one, but after sinking a four-foot birdie putt on four I was all right. I feel fine now.”

Weiskopf plays only 10-14 tournaments a year and figures he prepares to play only about half of them.

“When I’m out here I enjoy myself, but I just can’t play full time,” he said. “My designing and golf course building business is my first love. I feel it is an art. It is a compliment to have people enjoy playing my courses.

“But there are times when I’ll win out here. Why not tomorrow?”