LETHAL LANGER LEADS BY THREE WITH A ROUND TO GO AT ROYAL BIRKDALE

Bernhard Langer holes another putt at Royal Birkdale today. Picture by courtesy of Getty Images(c)

 

SENIOR OPEN REPORT

BY EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

For the second year running, Bernhard Langer leads going into the final round of The Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex after a masterful four under par 66 gave the German a three stroke advantage over David Frost at Royal Birkdale Golf Club.

Langer held a one shot advantage at the same stage last year at Turnberry, but closed with a 75 to finish in a share of sixth place as Fred Couples took the title.

He will be determined to finish off the job this time, after a superb third round at the Southport venue in which he carded five birdies, and just one bogey on the 14^th hole, to move to nine under par.

“It’s always special to win any tournament, but to win a Major, and to win it on a golf course like this, would mean a lot,” he said.

“There's a lot of golf left.  We all know that.  There’s somebody inside me that expects me to win, but I know there's 18 holes left, and there are a lot of shots to be pulled off and a lot of putts to be made. So golf is not over till it's over, and we've got 18 holes to play.”

Langer won The Senior Open Championship at Carnoustie in 2010 and has never finished outside the top 12. After improving on his opening round of 68 by one shot each day, the 2004 Ryder Cup captain believes he has played as well this week as when he won the Masters Tournament in 1985 and 1993.

“I've hit so many good shots the last few days where just they feel good and come off right where I want them to go and they go the proper distance. It's just fun playing golf that way because it doesn't happen very often.”

South African Frost, who dropped a shot on the last hole, posted a two under par 68 to keep the pressure on Langer, and he is now targeting a low final round in order to claim his first Senior Open Championship.

“I have to do something really special,” said Frost. “I have to find something that I'm confident with, that I can go out tomorrow and just find a little key thought.

“It would be special to win here at Birkdale. I've come here many years, so hopefully we can talk about that tomorrow night.”

American Mark Wiebe, the joint overnight leader who finished tied sixth alongside Langer last year, is a further shot back on five under par following a level par 70 on another testing day at Birkdale.

Two-time Major Champion Sandy Lyle heads the European charge on three under par, following a one under par 69 on Saturday. Lyle is tied for fourth position with Australian Peter Fowler and American Gene Sauers, both of whom carded rounds of 70.

Despite finishing with a bogey for the second day running, Senior Open debutant Colin Montgomerie signed for a one under par 69, good enough for a share of 13^th place on two over par.

THIRD-ROUND TOTALS

Par 210 (3x70)

201 B Langer (Ger) 68 67 66,

204 D Frost (RSA) 68 68 68,

205 M Wiebe (USA) 70 65 70,

207 G Sauers (USA) 67 70 70, P Fowler (Aus) 69 68 70, S Lyle (Sco) 70 68 69

208 P Senior (Aus) 68 71 69

209 C Pavin (USA) 69 71 69

210 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 70 72 68, S Pate (USA) 70 72 68

211 J Hart (USA) 69 69 73, S Elkington (Aus) 72 68 71

212 K Idoki (Jpn) 71 68 73, C Montgomerie  (Sco) 72 71 69, T Pernice Jnr (USA) 70 72 70, M Martin (Esp) 72 75 65

213 R Mediate (USA) 70 68 75, R Spittle (Can) 71 72 70, T Kite (USA) 70 72 71, S Jones (USA) 73 70 70, M McNulty (Irl) 70 67 76

214 G Turner (Nzl) 70 69 75, J Spence (Eng) 75 69 70, F Couples (USA) 74 72 68, M O'Meara (USA) 74 68 72, T Lehman (USA) 72 72 70, D Smyth (Irl) 76 69 69, L Mize (USA) 71 73 70, R Cochran (USA) 71 73 70, B Lane (Eng) 72 68 74

215 P Mitchell (Eng) 75 72 68, B Tway (USA) 74 72 69

216 A Forsbrand (Swe) 73 70 73, S Tinning (Den) 71 74 71, K Tomori (Jpn) 71 72 73

217 M Allen (USA) 75 70 72, G Hallberg (USA) 69 75 73, P Linhart (Esp) 73 72 72, T Watson (USA) 73 71 73, C Mason (Eng) 74 70 73, E Romero (Arg) 75 70 72, D Russell (Eng) 72 73 72, B Faxon (USA) 74 69 74, J Inman (USA) 71 76 70, C Lutz (am) (USA) 71 71 75

218 M Goodes (USA) 71 74 73, D Mast (USA) 72 73 73, F Minoza (Phi) 68 78 72, M James (Eng) 74 73 71, S Luna (Esp) 72 74 72, D Waldorf (USA) 76 72 70, J Sluman (USA) 71 75 72, W Wood (USA) 75 71 72, K Hanefeld (USA) 73 75 70, S Okuda (Jpn) 73 72 73

219 B Longmuir (Sco) 73 69 77, C Lu (Tpe) 71 77 71, B Ruangkit (Tha) 73 73 73, P Golding (Eng) 74 74 71, B Vaughan (USA) 73 74 72

220 M Calcavecchia (USA) 75 72 73, P Wesselingh (Eng) 70 76 74, M Brooks (USA) 74 73 73, E Toledo (Mex) 74 72 74

221 J Cook (USA) 69 79 73, A Oldcorn (Sco) 74 72 75, P Dahlberg (Swe) 76 72 73, M Kuramoto (Jpn) 70 77 74, J Daley (USA) 75 73 73, P Walton (Irl) 70 76 75

223 M Kierstenson (Eng) 74 72 77, H Buhrmann (RSA) 76 72 75,

224 P Gresswell (Eng) 74 71 79, F Funk (USA) 75 71 78

 

  EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS