CHAMPIONS

• Late run keeps Roberts on top

  
  

  East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts birdied three of his last five holes on Saturday en route to a three-under 68 to stay atop the leaderboard after the second round of the Commerce Bank Championship.

  Roberts, the overnight leader by one, finished 36 holes at nine-under 133 and is two clear at the Red Course at Eisenhower Park.

  David Eger shot a five-under 66 and is tied for second place with former U.S. Open winner Scott Simpson, who posted a four-under 67 on Saturday. The pair is knotted at seven-under 135.

  Roberts did not get off to the kind of start one thinks of, not only from a leader, but the man dubbed "The Boss of the Moss" for his putting prowess. He three-putted the first hole for a bogey and fell behind a slew of players.

  At various points during the front nine Saturday, as many as nine golfers shared the lead.

  Roberts kept making pars, nine in a row, and stayed within reach of first.

  Roberts inched closer to the lead with a five-foot birdie putt at the 11th. He parred the next two, then got to seven-under par for the championship with a birdie at No. 14.

  Roberts got into sole possession of the lead at the 15th. He rolled in a six- foot birdie putt to get to eight-under par.

  At the par-five 17th, Roberts finally got on with his third shot. He converted the 12-footer for birdie to grab a two-shot cushion, but trouble loomed for Roberts.

  He drove into the left rough and had plenty of tree trouble. Roberts could not get the ball to the putting surface, then chipped four feet short. He drained the par save to keep his two-shot lead with one round to go.

  "A little tougher today, a little more of a struggle," acknowledged Roberts. "I couldn't get anything going on the front. The birdie at 15 was huge." Roberts, who finished second last year, has three runner-ups in 2008, but no wins.

  His last victory came at the 2007 Senior Players Championship and last week, he squandered the 36-hole lead at the Bank of America Championship.

  "You want to win," said Roberts. "The goal tomorrow is to get under par on the front nine and see what happens. I won't change the way I play, but I need to get off to a better start." Denis Watson (67), Fulton Allem (67), Mike Goodes (68), Mark McNulty (69), Gene Jones (70) and defending champion Lonnie Nielsen (69) are knotted in fourth at six-under 136.

  Jeff Sluman, who trumped Roberts last week for his first Champions Tour win, Nick Price, Dana Quigley, John Jacobs and Andy Bean highlight the group tied for 10th at minus-five.

  06/28 18:16:24 ET