Erratic Watson tees up title
TOM Watson overcame erratic form off the tee to retain a three-stroke, third-round lead in in the US Senior Open today (AEST).
The eight-time Major winner, despite missing eight fairways out of 14, fired a one-over-par 73 in blustery conditions at Whistling Straits.
He signed off with a par-four at the last, after getting up and down from spongy rough short of the green to post a seven-under total of 209.
Chasing his first victory at an event, where he has finished second three times in the last five years, Watson piled up four bogeys and three birdies to maintain control going into the final round.
Playing partner Loren Roberts, who had been one off the pace with two holes to play, is alone in second place at four-under after also carding a 73.
Britain’s Sam Torrance, the 2002 European Ryder Cup captain, returned a 71 to lie a further stroke back in third, level with American John Ross (70) and Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez (74).
Watson, whose glittering career includes victories at the Senior British Open in 2003 and 2005, began the day shakily by mixing four bogeys with a lone birdie to reach the turn in three-over 39.
He partially recovered with a birdie at the par-four 10th and picked up another shot at the 535-yard 16th to stretch his lead to one over putting magician Roberts.
Although Watson narrowly missed a birdie attempt from eight feet at the par-three 17th, he benefited from a two-shot swing when Roberts double-bogeyed the hole after his tee shot buried the ball in the greenside bunker.
Zimbabwe’s Denis Watson, winner of the Senior PGA Championship in May, shot the best round of the day, a five-birdie 67 lifting him into a six-way tie for sixth at two-under.
Reuters