Langer on course to make Senior Major

Championship history

 

 

Bernhard Langer, pictured by courtesy of Getty Images.

 

EUROPEAN TOUR COMMUNICATIONS

Bernhard Langer has a record-setting tenth Senior Major Championship in his sights as he moved four shots clear after the third round of the Senior Open Championship Presented by Rolex at Royal Porthcawl on the South Wales coastline.

 

The two-time Masters Champion secured his ninth Senior Major success at the KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship in May, matching Gary Player’s record.

 

The Florida-based German will take a four-shot lead over fellow former Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin into the final round.

 

Langer, a two-time winner of the Senior Open, was one of five players who started the day at the top of the leaderboard on one over par as the 82 golfers who successfully made the cut took advantage of much calmer conditions on the Welsh links.

He started his round with birdies on the second and third holes, adding two more to make the turn in 31. Two more birdies followed to add weight to the challenge of emulating his Senior Open victory on this course in 2014.

 

“I still have to be aggressive,” said Langer. “There are a lot of guys waiting for me to fall apart, so I need to shoot a good round. If I can do that, then I make it difficult for the other guys to catch me; so my plan is to go under par.

 

“Today, I played the best I’ve played all week. I drove the ball very solid and hit a lot of fairways, which then makes it easier to control the distance into the greens.

 

“It would be fantastic to win here again. They made me an honorary member here at Royal Porthcawl, so I’m very privileged to have that. To win it a second time here would be really great.”

 

Pavin, who is seeking redemption in Wales after leaving the country as losing Ryder Cup captain in 2010, equalled Langer’s six under par 65 and sits alone in second place.

“It was an easier day to play golf, no doubt about that,” said Pavin. “There’s a lot of good scores out there and, fortunately, things went well for me today.

 

“I’m in a good spot. I’ll go out there tomorrow and play the best I can and see where I end up.”

 

Spaniard Miguel Angel Jiménez, who finished tied third at last year’s Senior Open, is joined in fourth place by American pair Steve Flesch and Billy Mayfair on one over par.

 

Tom Watson is one of six Americans tied for 11^th place after shooting his age, 67, in an imperious display.

 

Scores after round three
par 213 (3x71)
208 B Langer (Ger) 69 74 65
212 C Pavin (USA) 73 74 65
213 P Lonard (Australia) 71 75 67
214 M Jiménez (Spn) 76 73 65, S Flesch (USA) 72 71 71, B Mayfair (USA) 71 72 71
215 S Luna (Spn) 77 70 68, S Dunlap (USA) 76 73 66, P Price (Wales) 74 73 68, M Atlevi (Swe) 77 73 65,
216 B Andrade (USA) 71 76 69, T Watson (USA) 72 77 67, F Couples (USA) 75 75 66, C Dennis (USA) 72 72 72, T Lehman (USA) 71 72 73, M Martin (Spn) 72 76 68, B Faxon (USA) 78 71 67
217 C Montgomerie (Sco) 71 76 70, D McKenzie (Australia) 73 73 71, P Broadhurst (Eng) 75 75 67, T Pernice Jnr (USA) 71 76 70
218 P Streeter (Eng) 77 76 65, M Goodes (USA) 74 72 72
219 R Chapman (Eng) 75 72 72, J Sluman (USA) 74 76 69, M Mouland (Wales) 73 76 70, R Cochran (USA) 77 73 69, J Daley (USA) 78 73 68, J Kelly (USA) 76 73 70
220 J Daly (USA) 72 80 68, G Turner (NZ) 73 78 69, P Fowler (Australia) 71 76 73, D Frost (SAf) 81 74 65, C Franco (Paraguay) 74 78 68, O Browne (USA) 78 75 67, G Sauers (USA) 75 75 70, S Lyle (Sco) 74 76 70, J Remesy (Fra) 71 77 72, M Molina (Arg) 70 73 77
221 P Marksaeng (Thai) 73 76 72, D Waldorf (USA) 73 77 71, S McCarron (USA) 75 74 72
222 D Gilford (Eng) 73 77 72, L Mize (USA) 76 77 69, P Wesselingh (Eng) 74 77 71, J Maggert (USA) 78 76 68, M McNulty (Ire) 75 80 67, W Austin (USA) 75 77 70, A Bossert (Switz) 77 76 69, W Wood (USA) 75 77 70, C Lutz (am) (USA) 77 74 71
223 E Toledo (Mexico) 76 78 69, T Thelen (USA) 76 77 70, S Kendall (USA) 75 77 71, S Tinning (Denmark) 77 77 69
224 A Oldcorn (Sco) 76 79 69, C Williams (SAf) 71 79 74, M Harwood (Australoa) 72 79 73, I Woosnam (Wales) 74 75 75, J Olazábal (Spn) 78 76 70, S Faldo (Eng) 79 76 69
225 M Dawson (USA) 79 76 70, P Linhart (Spn) 76 74 75, B Lane (Eng) 77 78 70
226 C Monasterio (Arg) 73 81 72, J Sandelin (Swe) 77 77 72, G Day (USA) 80 75 71, T Hamilton (USA) 72 82 72,
227 G Orr (Sco) 75 79 73, T Wiratchant (Thai) 78 76 73,
228 D Smyth (Ire) 76 79 73, P Goydos (USA) 79 75 74, S Dodd (Wales) 75 80 73, C Mason (Eng) 70 85 73
229 G Wolstenholme (Eng) 77 78 74
230 S Ball (Eng) 78 76 76
231 R Haag (am) (USA) 73 82 76
232 J Kingston (SAf) 76 77 79, J King (Eng) 77 78 77, T Price (Australia) 75 78 79, L Zhang (China) 77 78 77
233 S McAllister (Sco) 78 77 78