The life of Monday qualifying

Bryce Alderton

Rafael Navarro stood in the next stall from Doug Johnson on the

Newport Beach Country Club driving range Thursday as the two pounded

balls in preparation for today’s first round of the Toshiba Senior

Classic.

The two survived, beating out 98 other players Monday to qualify

for the tournament and will be paired with Lonnie Nielsen in the

final group of the day at 12:45 p.m.

Johnson shot a 7-under-par 65 on the Mile Square Golf Club in

Fountain Valley while Navarro, among the first-round leaders at last

year’s Toshiba Senior Classic, shot 68, needing two playoff holes to

outlast three other golfers.

Navarro, who has won 48 tournaments in his native South America

since turning professional in 1977, made a 30-foot birdie putt on the

first playoff hole -- No. 8 -- and reached the par-5 ninth hole in

two to secure a birdie for the win.

Johnson is making his first Toshiba Senior Classic appearance

while Navarro will make his fourth start on the Champions Tour this

season, the same number of tour events he played in last year -- all

from Monday qualifying.

Navarro has spent the last 10 years teaching golf while trying to

play as much as he can to earn exemption status. His best finish this

year was a tie for 39th at the MasterCard Classic two weeks ago when

he shot an 8-over-par 224.

“I’m improving slowly,” Navarro said. “In the last 10 years, I’ve

been playing once a month. I need to get in more tournaments to get

the exposure.”

Navarro’s best Champions Tour finish came at last year’s Toshiba

Senior Classic when he tied for 49th place.

“I like the old-style courses with trees and a lot of sand,” said

Navarro, who began playing golf when he was 8 at the urging of his

father.

Navarro will head back to this year’s national qualifying

tournament, attempting to finish in the top seven to earn exempt

status for next year.

“It’s a tough life. You travel and spend a lot of money on car

rentals and hotels,” Navarro said. “But I have a good sponsor in

Brazil and [playing] golf is better than teaching all day long.”

First things first, however. Navarro is focused on the task at

hand this weekend.

“The competition is tougher [in the U.S.],” Navarro said. “There

is more money and more good players.”

*

Craig Stadler will make his Toshiba Senior Classic debut when he

tees off at 10 a.m. today with Bruce Lietzke and Dave Barr, hoping to

rid himself of some kinks in his swing the last few days.

“[Thursday] I seemed to be in the trees every single hole,” said

Stadler, who is second to Gil Morgan on this year’s money list. “I’ve

hit sideways the last two days so I’ve hopefully got all out of my

system.”

Troubles have been few and far between, though, for the

50-year-old USC grad nicknamed, “The Walrus.”

He already has three top 10s in four Champions Tour events this

season, including his victory at the ACE Group Classic in February,

when he defeated Tom Watson and Gary Koch with a birdie-3 on the

first extra hole.

Stadler has tallied the most consecutive sub-70 rounds with five

in the MasterCard Championship (three) and ACE Group Classic (two).

The 1982 Masters champion is tied with Gil Morgan for rounds in

the 60s with 10 and is second to Morgan on this year’s money list.

In Stadler’s mind, this year’s Toshiba Senior Classic is up for

grabs.

“This course suits everyone’s game well,” Stadler said. “It is

short and tight.”

*

Winners from Wednesday and Thursday pro-ams:

Two-day low net: 104 (51-53) -- Amateurs Matt Ruth, Carey Kelson,

Jeff Edwards, Eric Brandt with pros D.A. Weibring (Wednesday) Bruce

Lietzke (Thursday).

Two-day low gross: 122 (62-60) -- Amateurs Rick Taylor, Gene

McGillycuddy, Paur Faus, Tim Ramsay with pros Sam Torrance

(Wednesday) and Stadler (Thursday).

Thursday low net: 53 -- Amateurs Hidejiro Shimomitsu, Hideo Ito,

Tim Farmer, Takayuki Ikeda with pro Larry Nelson.

Thursday low gross: 61 -- Amateurs Mike Smith, Bill Holgate, Chuck

Sitzman, Bob Hyde with pro David Eger.

Wednesday low net: 50 -- Amateurs Taro Hiyama, Mike Howe, Tim

Farmer, John Elliott with pro John Bland.

Wednesday low gross: 58 -- Amateurs Rick Sitek, Mitch Allen, James

Renick and Scott Allen.