Associated Press
Saturday, June 24

CLIFTON, N.J. -- A guy with a bad back kept Lee Trevino from getting back on the winning track in the Cadillac NFL Classic a year ago.

With his victory drought now at two years, Trevino will have another shot at winning the Cadillac NFL Classic, this time against two guys battling bad backs, defending champion Allen Doyle and television analyst Gary McCord.

Trevino put himself in position to win again for the first time since 1998 when he made a 45-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole Saturday for a share of the second-round lead with Doyle.

McCord, who will be in the final group Sunday, is a shot back.

"I'm doing everything quite well now and I think I have a good chance," said Trevino, whose 67 on Saturday put him at 11-under 133 on the Upper Montclair Country Club course. "It's a rematch of last year."

Trevino made a run at Doyle on the final day last year but he finished third as Doyle beating Joe Inman in a four-hole playoff.

Doyle was by far the best player on the course on Saturday, shooting an 8-under-par 64, which was one shot shy of his career best on the Senior PGA Tour.

"I haven't done anything other than put myself in position," said Doyle, who attributed his improved play to the fact that his back is feeling better after bothering him for the last five weeks.

McCord is in the same position. He pulled a muscle in his back on Monday, but it has been feeling better than last couple of days, as evidenced by two straight 67s.

"I was able to swing without flinching today," McCord said. "I kept the ball in the fairway. I had three bogeys which were stupid but I rallied, came back and didn't let the round get away from me."

Hubert Green and Walter Morgan were the only other players in the 78-man event within three shots of the lead. They were at 136 after matching 67s.

Doyle blistered the tree-lined 6,816-yard course with a round of eight birdies and no bogeys.

"Put me on a course where I have to drive it straight and I'll do OK," said Doyle, whose unorthodox hockey-type swing seems to baffle the experts. "Put me on a course where I have to chip and putt and I'll do OK."

That's the same feeling Trevino has had on this course since winning the first Cadillac NFL Classic in 1993. He has never finished worse than ninth, including a tie for third last year.

Trevino, 60, who has not won since the 1998 Southwestern Bell Dominion, had five birdies and no bogeys.

"On the front nine I hit the ball close and couldn't make a putt," said Trevino, whose 66 gave him the first-round lead. "On the back nine I couldn't get it close and I made all the putts."

The most remarkable was the last one on the par-5, 590-yard 18th.

Trevino put his second shot right in front of the green and he tried a little flop shot and flubbed it, sending the ball 15 yards behind the hole.

Trevino said he could read the putt, but he just didn't know the speed, he said, adding he did not want to send the putt 12 feet past the cup.

So Trevino took a little off the putt, which proved to be a blessing because the speed was a lot faster than he thought. The ball went right in the middle of the cup, drawing roars from the crowd and a big "I got away with one" smile from Trevino, who has won more money in this event than any other player.

McCord had eight birdies and three bogeys.

A two-time winner last year, McCord's best finish this year is a loss in a playoff to Tom Wargo in February.

"The difference in the senior tour and the PGA Tour is Tiger Woods," McCord said. "I couldn't beat him with a head start. I rejoice in the fact that this is only place Tiger can't win right now."