Running Updates

Watson 54-hole leader

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson showed impeccable touch on the 18th hole, placing a chip within four feet of the hole. Watson made the putt for par and will enter the final round with a three stroke lead at seven under par.

Watson will play with a familiar face tomorrow; his fellow competitor will be the same as today. Loren Roberts tapped in for par on No. 18. He is at 4-under 212.

Rules situation

Kohler, Wis. – For those watching on TV wondering why Loren Roberts was able to remove sand in the bunker to find his ball, see Rule 12-1 in the Rules of Golf. In a hazard, if a ball is believed to be covered by loose impediments or sand, the player may remove by probing or raking with a club or otherwise, as many loose impediments or as much sand as will enable him to see a part of the ball.

Hybrid performance

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson, using a hybrid, hit his tee shot to about eight feet, hole high on the par-3 17th. The hole is listed with two distances, 216 and 190 yards. Today the distance is 219, but playing longer with the wind.

Weibring, Purtzer meet in middle

Kohler, Wis. – D.A. Weibring posted three over par on the front side. Weibring played the back side at even par, and was one-over total, until a birdie on No. 18.

Tom Purtzer made a two birdies on the back, at one point moving to five-under total, before making three bogeys, including one on No. 18.

Both Weibring and Purtzer are tied at 2-under, 214 for the championship.

Woodward hanging tough

Kohler, Wis. – Jim Woodward continues to hang near the top of the leaderboard. He placed his tee shot on the front-right part of No. 17 green and two putted for par. He is in a six-way tie for 2nd at 3-under.

Purtzer going south (figuratively and literally)

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Purtzer bogeyed No. 15 after his par attempt missed by five feet. His tee shot on the par-3 17th was short and right of the green. Purtzer’s second shot skidded about 18 feet beyond the hole. He missed the par putt and bogeyed.

Nos. 15, 16, and 17 face south, the direction that the wind is coming from. With strong gusts, the holes are playing extremely difficult.

Tie at the top

Kohler, Wis. – Loren Roberts hit his shot from the intermediate cut of rough to about 20 feet on No. 14. Roberts then made the putt to tie Tom Watson for the lead at six under.

Watson looked as though he would reclaim the lead immediately. He had a four foot putt for birdie, but left it just short.

Crenshaw back to four

Kohler, Wis.- Ben Crenshaw hit a solid approach to No. 14. He had an eight foot, left to right putt for birdie, and sank it with ease. Crenshaw is now just two back.

Watson makes great up and down, Torrance finishes

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson’s tee shot on the par-3 12th sailed long and well below the elevated green. Watson chipped up to two feet and made his par putt.

Sam Torrance made a par on his final hole, and finished the day with a 1-under 71. Torrance is one of five players tied for 5th place.

Purtzer pars, Roberts birdies

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Purtzer, one stroke behind leader Tom Watson, left a birdie putt from the fringe well short. Purtzer made the par attempt.

Loren Roberts played a chip within six feet of the hole on No. 11. He made the birdie putt.

Both Purtzer and Roberts are just one stroke behind Watson.

Watson reclaims lead, Roberts, Crenshaw fall

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson made his birdie attempt at No. 10 and regained the lead.

Meanwhile, the No. 10 fairway bunker caused problems for Loren Roberts. He did not reach the green with his second shot, then failed to get up and down. He moves back to three under.

Ben Crenshaw missed a three foot putt on No. 11 green, lipping it out, to make a bogey. He is tied with Roberts at three over.

Wind wreaking havoc

Kohler, Wis. – The early groups had a decided advantage over those still on the golf course. The wind has picked up considerably, with gusts at 20-25 mph.

Final group turns, Roberts ties lead

Kohler, Wis. – Loren Roberts moved within one of Tom Watson. Roberts played his second shot from the fairway past the hole, then made a twenty foot putt.

Watson was forced to play short of the green on the ninth hole because of a poor tee shot. His pitch went long, and he missed the six foot putt coming back. Watson is three over today.

Torrance on a terror

Kohler, Wis. – Sam Torrance is now three under on the back nine. Torrance spun his second shot from the fairway to six feet and made the putt. Torrance is all alone in second place at five under par.

Fernandez, Crenshaw turn

Kohler, Wis. - Vicente Fernandez missed a six foot, left to right putt on the low side of the hole and fell back to three under.

Ben Crenshaw again played short to the ninth green, pitched on, and made a three foot putt for par.

Big save

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson rolled in a sweeping right to left putt from about 12 feet to save par at the par-3 7th. Watson is seven under after a bogey on number six.

Fellow competitor Loren Roberts left a similar, but slightly longer putt for birdie short. Roberts remains three back of Watson.

Watson up, Roberts down

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson is back to where he started after a birdie on the par-5 5th. His fellow competitor, Loren Roberts, bogeyed the hole and dropped to four under for the championship.

Bryant birdies

Kohler, Wis. – Brad Bryant birdied No. 13 and joins Eduardo Romero and three others at three under par.

Bryant’s fellow competitor, Curtis Strange, is 5-over today, 4-over for the championship.

Crenshaw back to three under

Kohler, Wis. – Ben Crenshaw doubled bogeyed the first hole and gave another back at three before making birdie at hole number four.

Crenshaw has already missed two greens through five holes today after only missing three the entire round yesterday.

Steady start

Kohler, Wis. – Loren Roberts and Lonnie Nielsen have started steady. Both have made three straight pars to open their rounds.

The same can’t be said for their fellow competitors. Tom Watson, playing with Roberts, dropped a shot at the first. Des Smyth, playing with Nielsen, is 3-over par after 3 holes.

Romero turns at two under

Kohler, Wis. – After starting the day with three birdies on his first five holes, Eduardo Romero cooled down. Romero bogeyed the seventh and eighth. He made the turn 1-under today, 2-under for the championship.

Tom Watson bogeys the first

Kohler, Wis. – Tom Watson must buy into today’s 7.7.07 theme. He bogeyed the first hole and is now in the lead by two shots at seven under par.

Watson finishes five under today

Kohler, Wis. – The other Watson, Dennis Watson, shot a 5-under par 67 today. Watson is now two under for the championship. Watson shot a 33 on the front nine and 34 on the back nine.

Three under

Kohler, Wis. – Jim Ahern and Eduardo Romero are both three under today. Ahern birdied his first three holes and is now five under for the championship. Romero birdied holes two, four and five, and is 4-under for the championship.

Even more notable is how David Eger became three under for the championship. An eagle at the 357 yard, par-4 15th moved him to six under for the day.

Gilder sets pace

Kohler, Wis. – Bob Gilder teed off second this morning and set the tone for the day. Gilder shot a 2-under 70, and moved to 2-over for the championship.

An eagle on No. 16 followed by a birdie on the par-3 17th highlighted his play.

Promising start for Romero

Kohler, Wis. – First round leader Eduardo Romero tumbled after a 77 yesterday. He started off today’s round at one under, but quickly moved after a birdie on number two.

Eagle sighting

Kohler, Wis. – Bob Gilder recorded the first eagle of the day on the par-5 16th hole. With the eagle, Gilder moves to two under for the day.

Gilder is part of the first group to play No. 16 today. The hole has statistically played as the easiest during the championship.

Hanefeld goes under

Kohler, Wis. – Kirk Hanefeld is 2-under today, 1-under total for the championship. He is the first person to move under par for the championship today as he begins his fourth hole.

Is it the name?

Kohler, Wis. – Dennis Watson made his third consecutive birdie, this time on the par-4 6th. Watson has only missed one green this morning, and is back to even par for the championship.

Watson 2-under through 5

Kohler, Wis. - The other Watson, Dennis Watson, made consecutive birdies on the fourth and fifth holes and is two under today. He is now one over for the championship.

The weather conditions are good right now. Sunny skies and breezy conditions should help morning participants score.

Jacobsen starts well

Kohler, Wis. – The 2004 U.S. Senior Open Champion, Peter Jacobsen, started his third round well. Jacobsen recorded a birdie on the first hole and is one over for the championship.

Weekend begins

Kohler, Wis. – Third round action is happening here at Whistling Straits. The cut was at five over par, and 62 players qualified for the weekend.

Five amateurs made it to the weekend. Two recognizable names are Danny Green and George Zahringer. Green, from Tennessee, won the ’99 U.S. Mid-Amateur and played on the ’01 Walker Cup team. Zahringer is from New York. He won his 10th Metropolitan Golf Association “major” last week.