Langer on track for number three

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June 7, 2009

Evergreen Bernhard Langer has put him self on track at the Triton Financial Classic to win his third Champions Tour title this year.

Germany’s most successful golfer of all time shot a 3-under 69 for a 10-under 134 third-round total at the Jack Nicklaus-designed course at the Hills Country Club in Lakeway, Texas, on Saturday that will send him into the final round with a one-stroke lead over unheralded American Gene Jones and a three-shot advantage over former Masters and Open Championship winner, Mark O’Meara and fellow American veteran Jeff Sluman..

“It’s better to be ahead than behind,” Langer said. “It was tough today, but winning always breeds confidence for me.”

Langer posted five birdies, but also shot two bogeys, his final birdie, made with a 10-foot putt on the par-5 17th, putting him in front.

“If we play decent, it will be hard for somebody to catch us,” Langer said. “If we play garbage, then anything can happen.”

Jones, seeking his first Champions Tour victory, had seven birdies and a bogey, his birdie on the par-3 last where he hit a 6-iron to within 3 feet of the pin, putting him into sole possession of second place.
“He’s the best we have out here, but if you are going to win for the first time, you might as well beat the best,” Jones said about Langer.

“It will happen eventually,” O’Meara said of the fact that he has yet to win a title in seniors golf.

“I have a lot of peace in my life now and I’m playing well so maybe I’ll win this week to cap everything off.”

ALL THE THIRD ROUND SCORES
(USA unless stated, par 72):
134 Bernhard Langer (Ger) 65 69
135 Gene Jones 69 66
137 Mark O’Meara 68 69, Jeff Sluman 68 69
138 Tom Kite 68 70, Scott Hoch 69 69, Jay Haas 70 68
139 Dana Quigley 68 71, John Morse 71 68, Mark James (Eng) 68 71
140 Mike McCullough 67 73, Dan Forsman 71 69, Larry Mize 68 72
141 Joey Sindelar 72 69, Lonnie Nielsen 74 67
142 John Cook 69 73, Tom Jenkins 69 73, Mark Wiebe 68 74, Chip Beck 71 71, Hal Sutton 71 71
143 Gary Hallberg 73 70, R.W. Eaks 70 73, Joe Ozaki (Jpn) 69 74, Morris Hatalsky 71 72, Fred Funk 72 71, Jerry Pate 70 73, Leonard Thompson 73 70, Loren Roberts 71 72, Dave Stockton 70 73
144 Fulton Allem (Rsa) 73 71, Craig Stadler 74 70, Ben Crenshaw 73 71, Wayne Grady (Aus) 71 73, Don Pooley 74 70, Olin Browne 71 73, Mark McNulty (Irl) 69 75, David Eger 66 78, Sandy Lyle (Sco) 71 73
145 Robert L Thompson 71 74, Tom Wargo 69 76, Bruce Vaughan 71 74, Fuzzy Zoeller 71 74, Mike Reid 74 71, Vicente Fernandez (Arg) 76 69, Tim Simpson 71 74
146 Ken Green 71 75, Jim Thorpe 74 72, Mike Hulbert 71 75, John Harris 73 73, Dave Eichelberger 74 72, Mike Goodes 72 74
147 Gil Morgan 71 76, Tom Purtzer 73 74, Jay Don Blake 71 76
148 Phil Blackmar 71 77, Graham Marsh (Aus) 79 69, Bob Gilder 71 77
149 James Mason 74 75, Peter Jacobsen 74 75, Bruce Summerhays 74 75, Dave Rummells 75 74
150 David Edwards 73 77, Brad Bryant 76 74, Keith Fergus 72 78
151 Jim Colbert 73 78, Hale Irwin 74 77, Ron Streck 77 74, Chris Starkjohann 77 74, Isao Aoki (Jpn) 80 71
152 Lanny Wadkins 74 78
153 Steve Thomas 81 72
154 Bruce Lietzke 77 77, D A Weibring 74 80
155 Bob Murphy 75 80
156 Denis Watson (Zim) 79 77, Lee Trevino 78 78, Blaine McCallister 78 78, Tom McKnight 78 78
WD: Bobby Wadkins 73