Loren Roberts takes 3-shot lead at Senior Players

06.10.2007 21:00 Sport and Travel - Source: USA Today

Roberts bogeyed two of the first three holes, but rebounded to lengthen the two-shot lead he owned at the midpoint of the Champions Tour's final major tournament of the year. After making 14 birdies and only four bogeys over the first 54 holes, Roberts is at 10-under 200.

SCORES: Senior Players Championship

Funk shot a 66, the best score of the day, and Tom Watson carded a 68 to forge into third place at 5 under.

Roberts dropped into an early tie with Watson after opening bogey-birdie-bogey. He got even for the day with a birdie on No. 5 before making four straight pars.

Then came the back nine. Roberts started with a birdie on 10 for the second time in three days, then birdied the par-3, 189-yard 11th hole. After a par on 12, Roberts birdied the 180-yard 13th hole, which yielded only two birdies on Friday.

He finished with five straight pars.

"I started off hitting a couple of poor shots early but hung in there," Roberts said.

Funk hit every fairway and, like Roberts, made three birdies over a bogey-free back nine.

"I hit exceptionally well off the tee today. If I can do that tomorrow, that's what I need to do," Funk said. "But you've got to play really well more than likely, the way Loren's playing."

If nothing else, Funk is right where he wants to be.

"My goal this week was to try to get to the last group Sunday and have an opportunity to feed off that," he said.

First-round co-leader Mark Wiebe shot a 69 to move into a fourth-place tie at 4-under with Des Smyth and Dave Eger. Jay Haas, the leading money winner on the tour this year, was tied with Dana Quigley and Gil Morgan, seven shots back.

Scott Hoch, who started the round in second place, shot a 74 to drop nine shots back. He opened with a double-bogey 6 and added bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8 to fall out of contention.

The tournament is sponsored by Constellation Energy.

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