Player Ties Baird With a Frantic Finish
- Share via
ABILENE, Tex. —
Gary Player saved par on the final hole with a left-handed shot near a tree and tied Butch Baird for the first-round lead Friday in the Gatlin Brothers Southwest senior tournament at the Fairway Oaks Country Club.
Both finished at four-under-par 68.
George Archer, a Senior Tour rookie, and Mike Hill are tied for third at 69. Orville Moody, John Paul Cain and Al Kelley were at 70.
Player sank a 40-shot birdie putt on 17th hole to move into a tie with Baird, but put his drive on 18 next to a tree.
Player, a right-hander, put the ball back on the fairway with left-handed swing of his putter. Then he hit a driver that landed just short of the green, chipped to within seven feet and made the putt for a par.
“That and the putt on 17 really gave me a kick,” said Player, who won the $1.5-million RJR Championship last week.
Go beyond the scoreboard
Get the latest on L.A.'s teams in the daily Sports Report newsletter.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
