Johnson survives, advances

Bryce Alderton

Doug Johnson was in familiar territory Monday as he attempted to

qualify for a tournament he has never played in.

The 53-year-old resident of Florida shot a 7-under-par 65 with

seven birdies on the Miles Square Park Golf Course in Fountain Valley

to earn one of two qualifying spots into this year’s Toshiba Senior

Classic, which begins with Friday’s first round at Newport Beach

Country Club.

“I was hitting a lot of irons close today,” said Johnson, who

tried to qualify for the tournament three prior times. “This is one

of the only tournaments I haven’t played in.”

Johnson and Rafael Navarro (68) advanced from a field of 100

players who turned out Monday.

Navarro, 51, won after two holes of a four-way playoff with Mark

Pfeil, Jay Overton and R.W. Eaks. Navarro finished 49th at last

year’s Toshiba Senior Classic and lives in Rio de Janiero, Brazil.

Navarro, who started playing golf at age 8, was among the first-round

leaders at last year’s Toshiba, one of only four Champions Tour

events he played in last year.

Pfeil is the first alternate.

Just last year, Eaks qualified for the Toshiba Senior Classic for

the first time and finished the three-day event tied for 72nd after

shooting a 6-over-par 219. Eaks won back-to-back Newport Classic

Pro-Am titles in 1995-96, played at NBCC. The Newport Classic served

as a unique two-day mini-tour event for 23 years and played host to

several PGA stars.

This year’s Toshiba Senior Classic will be Johnson’s first

Champions Tour event since May’s Allianz Championship in Des Moines,

Iowa, where he finished 16th. He qualified for five out of 20

Champions Tour events last year and has spent the last two years

trying to gain his Champions Tour card, without success. Despite not

having a card, Johnson has played in 35 Champions Tour events the

last three years.

“It’s tough because everyone wants to play [on the Champions

Tour],” said Johnson, who turned pro in 1977 and earned his PGA Tour

card five times during the 1980s.

He has relied on many Monday qualifying rounds to gain entry into

tournaments. In 2001, Johnson qualified for 11 out of 24 events and

twice led going into the final round of tournaments.

“I have played a lot of good Mondays,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s best finish at a Champions Tour event came in 2002 when

he finished sixth at the SBC Classic at Valencia Country Club. He

took the lead into the final round there and was paired with Tom Kite

and Tom Watson.

This year, Johnson has attempted to qualify five times, with a low

round of 67 while trying to enter the Champions Tour’s first event --

the MasterCard Championship -- in January.

“It’s difficult when you are not playing [a tour event] every

week. A lot of guys out here have played for eight, nine and 10

years,” Johnson said.

Johnson’s zeal for the game and never-give-up attitude have kept

him afloat, as well as without regrets.

“People keep asking, ‘Why do you keep going even after 25 years of

failure?’ I answer with, ‘I get to do what I want to do and be

totally happy,’ ” he said. “It is better than a job. I have always

been in the game. Timing is everything in sports.”

The quality of play on the Champions Tour has also improved,

making it that much more difficult to earn a card, Johnson said.

“There is no room at the inn,” Johnson said. “It is very

competitive out here. There are 40 to 50 guys capable of shooting 65

or better. In years past, a lot of great players shot 70 or 69.”

Johnson and wife Sandy, who has caddied for him the last 25 years

and did so again Monday, live in a community of 50,000 called The

Villages, that features four golf courses in close proximity to one

another, allowing for many practice sessions.

Practice, at least for this week, paid off.

“You realize what you practice 18 hours a day and seven days a

week for,” Johnson said. “It’s is nice to have the chance again. You

just want to savor the moment because you never know how many more

chances you will have. You can’t expect too much. Accept what you get

and savor the experience. If I finish 50th, I finish 50th. Though, to

finish in the top 30 here would be worth it’s wait in gold.

If Johnson were to finish in the top 30 on the season money list,

he would gain exempt status for 2005.