Langer, 65, closes on Senior history
Bernhard Langer took a twostroke lead Saturday in the US Senior Open at difficult SentryWorld in Stevens Point, Wis., the 65-yearold German star bidding to break the PGA Tour Champions’ career victory record.
Fan favorites Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly — both from Madison, 100 miles to the south — were right behind, with Retief Goosen and Y.E. Yang the only other players under par with a round left on the punishing tree-lined course with thick rough and tricky greens.
Langer shot his second straight 3-under 68 to reach 6 under. The 2010 US Senior Open winner at Sahalee outside Seattle, Langer won the Chubb Classic in Florida in February to tie Hale Irwin for the Champions’ career victory record of 45.
“No, it’s not on my mind at all,” Langer said about the record. “Hopefully, my mind will not wander anywhere but on the next shot. That’s the secret to playing the best golf.”
Allen Doyle is the oldest winner in event history, taking the 2006 title at SentryWorld at 57 years, 11 months, 14 days.
Langer will play alongside Kelly on Sunday.
Kelly and Stricker, paired together Saturday, closed with birdies on the par-4 18th, with Kelly making a 20-foot putt from the fringe and Stricker following with a 15-footer. They each shot 68, with Kelly second at 4 under and Stricker third at 3 under.
“Just being with one of my best friends out there in this kind of atmosphere at this level is pretty cool to do,” Kelly said, “Both shooting the same score, both in it still. We just had a lot of fun.”
Stricker won the first two senior majors of the year and took his hometown Madison event three weeks ago for his fourth Champions victory of the season.
Two-time US Open champion Goosen and Yang were 1 under. Goosen closed with a birdie for a 71. Yang had a 69.
PGA — Rickie Fowler birdied six of his last eight holes to surge into the Rocket Mortgage Classic lead at 20 under, giving him another chance to end a four-year PGA Tour victory drought.
Fowler had an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Adam Hadwin at Detroit Golf Club. Hadwin had a 63 to tie the tournament record. Fellow Canadian Taylor Pendrith was third at 18 under after a 67 in which he bogeyed two of his last four holes.
Monday qualifier Peter Kuest (65) and Aaron Rai (68) were 17 under.
The leaders will tee off Sunday morning just before 9 a.m. — about 5 hours before the original schedule — and threesomes will start on both the front and back nine.
LIV — Bryson DeChambeau made eagle on his final hole at the par-5 17 th for an 8-under 63 and a oneshot lead over Talor Gooch at LIV Golf-Valderrama in Spain.
DeChambeau has yet to win against the 48-man fields on the Saudi-backed league, and this might be his best chance. He played bogey-free for the day, and his eagle allowed him to move into the lead going into the third and final round.
Gooch, who won back-to-back LIV events in Australia and Singapore earlier this year, had the lead for much of the second round at Valderrama, with eight birdies against one bogey. But then he took a second bogey on the 18th hole and finished with a par for a 65.
PGA champion Brooks Koepka got his lone mistake out of the way early and shot 65. He was three shots behind DeChambeau. Dustin Johnson shared the opening-round lead but could only manage a 71, leaving him five back.
DP World — English trio Andy Sullivan, Oliver Wilson, and James Morrison were part of a six-way tie going into the final round of the British Masters in Sutton Coldfield, England, while tournament favorite Justin Rose remained in contention despite carding a 2-over 74.
Joost Luiten of the Netherlands, Italy’s Guido Migliozzi, and Niklas Norgaard of Denmark were also tied at 7-under 209 as a blustery wind wreaked havoc at The Belfry.