CHAMPIONS

• Langer one clear at Senior PGA

  
  

  Rochester, NY (Sports Network) - Bernhard Langer managed only an even-par 70 on Saturday, but it was enough to give him a one-shot lead after three rounds of the Senior PGA Championship.

  Langer, a two-time Masters champion, completed 54 holes at two-over-par 212.

  Jeff Sluman tripped to a bogey at the last to end one back at plus-three after his own even-par 70.

  He was joined there by Jay Haas (72), who holed out for eagle on 17 to briefly tie for the lead.

  That trio is three shots ahead of the rest of the field at Oak Hill Country Club.

  Scott Simpson, who was the only player to break par Saturday, carded a one- under 69 to move from a tie for 23rd into a share of fourth. He stands alongside Bill Britton (72) at six-over-par 216.

  Scott Hoch (72), Joey Sindelar (72), Tom Kite (71) and Greg Norman (72) are tied for sixth at plus-seven.

  As second-round leader Tom Purtzer (81) slid down the leaderboard, Langer and Hoch took over the top spot and put on a spirited battle for the lead.

  Langer opened with seven straight pars to remain at plus-two.

  Sluman birdied the third, but gave that shot back with a bogey at the fourth. He collected birdies at six and eight to move to plus-one, where he joined Langer in the lead.

  Langer birdied the eighth to get to plus-one and he was alone in the lead when Sluman bogeyed the par-four ninth.

  Around the turn, Langer dropped to plus-two as he bogeyed No.

  11. Sluman drained an 18-footer for birdie at the 14th, but Langer responded with an eight-foot birdie putt of his own.

  They both birdied the 15th, too, after Sluman's tee shot stopped four feet from the cup and Langer knocked his to five feet. Those birdies got the pair to even-par.

  Trouble loomed for both players, though. Langer bogeyed 16 and 17 to fall to plus-two.

  His second shot at the last came up short in the rough, but he managed to get up and down for par.

  "I played beautiful golf most of the day," Langer said.

  "I hit horrible pitching wedge on 16, then missed about a two-and-a-half-footer on 17. So that was a bad finish, but I got a good up and down on 18. It's just a tough golf course." Sluman was worse off. After bogeys at 16 and 17, he found the rough off the 18th tee and was forced to pitch down the fairway. Sluman's third stopped seven feet away, but he was unable to sink the par-saving putt and dropped one back at plus-three.

  "I drove the ball well until the end," admitted Sluman, a Rochester native. "I hit a bad one on 16 and 18 and paid the price as we have all week. Unfortunately, I three-putted 17, but at the start of the day I would have taken 70.

  Haas, the first-round leader, was four-over for his round after 10 holes. That dropped him to plus-five overall, but he rallied in impressive fashion.

  After a birdie at the 15th, Haas holed his second shot at the par-four 17th for eagle.

  That jumped him into a share of the lead at plus-two. The good feelings didn't last as he bogeyed the home hole to drop into a share of second.

  "I thought I hit a perfect tee ball," Haas said of his drive at 17. "I pulled it maybe a couple of yards there and was under the trees. I was just trying keep it under the branches and carry the bunker in front of me and get it up there so I could somehow make a four.

  And it spit out perfect. I found gold right there." Mark O'Meara, Eduardo Romero, Andy Bean and Ron Streck are tied for 10th place at nine-over-par 219.

  Defending champion Denis Watson (74) is among seven players tied for 14th at plus-10.

  05/24 20:16:51 ET