U.S. PGA Senior Open Championship, Roger Chapman Wins

Roger Chapman of England won the 33rd U.S. Senior Open Championship at Indianwood Golf & Country Club on Sunday with a tournament total of -10 under par. Roger fired a last round -4 under par, 66, to win by two shots. There were four players tied in second position at -8 under par, including the third round leader by four, Bernhard Langer. Bernhard was joined by Fred Funk, Tom Lehman and Corey Pavin.

53 year old Roger joins an elite club with Jack Nicklaus, Gary Player and Hale Irwin as the only players to win the U.S. Senior Open and Senior PGA Championship in the same year. Roger obviously enjoys this part of the Country, his Senior PGA title in May came at The Golf Club at Harbor Shores. He said at his presentation ceremony;

“Just a lovely area.”

Bernhard who shot 64 yesterday, to lead the field by four shots, inexplicably stumbled to a last round 72, +2 over par on the day. An amazing eight shot swing on the previous round, Bernhard had said after Saturday’s round if he closed with a -2 or -3 under, it would be difficult to catch him.

He also said on Saturday;

“Without being big headed, I think I’m one of the better players out here the last three or four years. I’ve won the Schwab Cup. If you do that, you’ve got to play well. If you can win normal tournaments and be in the top five or top 10 on a regular basis, you ought to be doing fairly well in the majors too because the majors are even harder.The better players, I think, will separate themselves even more from the average player in the majors because conditions are usually tough”

Well the so confident German was unable to deliver the goods when it was required.

U.S. Senior Open Championship, Langer Leads

Bernhard Langer / Shamus/Getty Images

Bernhard Langer made nine birdies on his way to a -6 under par, 64 during the third round of the U.S. Senior Open Championship at Indianwood Golf and Country Club. The score gives Bernhard a four shot advantage over the field going into the last round Sunday. If he wins it will once again raise the question of anchoring the long putter, is it an unfair advantage.

Bernhard himself did not think he played that well, just putted well;

” The only difference really was just I made some putts. I probably played worse than I played the first two days. The first two days I made very little, and I guess the course owed me some. I made a bunch of putts today. It was really fun. Hoping to go really low and then made an error on No. 13.”

There are five players who are four shots adrift of the lead, and they will all have to pull out something special tomorrow if they want to win this tournament, or simply hope that Bernhard falls over. Given Bernhard’s exceptional record I can not see that eventuality happening.

The players waiting for a chance at -6 under par, are; Tom Pernice  Jr, Corey Pavin, Roger Chapman, Tom Lehman and John Huston.