Archer Manages to Turn Things Around Just in Time

George Archer will start today in the final group, but for much of Saturday it didn’t look as if he would be anywhere near the lead of the Toshiba Senior Classic at Newport Beach Country Club.

Archer started at one under and was still there after 14 holes after getting two birdies, two bogeys and eight pars.

But he was able to turn around the round with birdies on three of the last four holes. He shot 68 and is in a second-place tie with Lee Trevino at four under. The pair are five shots back of Jim Colbert and will tee off together at 11:45 a.m.

“I started weak and finished strong,” said Archer, who won the tournament last year at Mesa Verde Country Club with a 64 on the final day.

His late charge started at the 492-yard, par-five 15th when he dropped in a downhill putt from eight feet.

He followed that with a five-iron to within 12 feet at the 437-yard, par-four 16th and made the putt to get to three under.

Archer hit his tee shot over the 185-yard, par-three 17th, but chipped to within two feet and made the putt for par.

At the 510-yard, par-five 18th, Archer hit a wedge to five feet and made the putt.

“I hit the ball much better today than yesterday,” Archer said. “I finished with a nice round.”

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It happens: Gary Player, who shot 71 in the first round, made a birdie three on the first hole Saturday.

But his charge was slowed greatly on the next hole, an uphill 390-yard par four. Player and Jerry McGee hit similar tee shots, both of which went out of view of the golfers.

Player then hit McGee’s ball in the fairway for a two-shot penalty.

Player finished with a double-bogey six on the hole but came back with a four on the par-five third. But he didn’t make another birdie again until the 17th.

He finished with a one-over 72 and is at 143, 10 shots off the lead.

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Good news, bad news: Bob Murphy found out earlier in the day that he had become a grandfather. And for the first half of the round, the good news continued.

Murphy, who started the day tied for the lead at three under, rolled in a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-four 407-yard ninth to get to six under, two shots behind Colbert. The birdie gave him a three-under 32 on the front side.

But the back nine turned nasty for Murphy. It started with a bogey at the 370-yard, par-four 12th when he hit his drive into the left sand trip and hit his second shot into the left trap that protects the green. His third shot was within four feet of the hole but he lipped out the par putt.

He later had a double hit on a chip on the 15th, and finished with a double bogey. He hit his third shot over the green and had a restricted back swing because of palm tree on the chip shot when the double hit occurred.

Afterward, Murphy said he made some bad swings and just lost his rhythm late in the round.

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It’s a learning experience: Tournament officials admitted Saturday that Friday’s crowd estimate of 15,000 included as many as 1,000 or so gate crashers.

Such breaches were supposedly secured Saturday. The announced crowd was 20,000.

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Eagle update: Terry Dill, who leads the senior tour in driving, averaging 269 yards, had the only eagle Saturday, on the 18th.

It also was only the second eagle of the tournament. The other was recorded Friday by Bob Irving, who was one of the Monday qualifiers for the tournament. Dill is at 146.

Irving, who is at 143, made a three at the par-five 15th in the opening round. Several players said there could be more eagles but the fairways are still damp from the rains early last week and drives are not rolling very far.