Langer's Lead Now Eight

Bernhard Langer extended his 36-hole lead of seven strokes in the Senior Open Championship to a record-tying eight after carding a 3-under 68 Saturday at Royal Porthcawl in Wales.

After starting with 65 and 66, the 56-year-old German posted four birdies and a bogey in the third round to reach 14-under 199, eight shots ahead of Canada's Rick Gibson, who had a 66, and nine in front of American Bob Tway (68).

Langer, a 21-time Champions Tour winner and 2010 Senior Open champion at Carnoustie, got off to a solid beginning with three birdies on the front nine to dim any fellow competitors' chances of quickly catching up. "I played very nicely, got off to a good start," he said.

"Then I maybe played a little safe for a couple of holes . . . I had a good touch, hit a couple of good trick shots toward the end, and drove the ball very well, hit some amazing straight drives and long drives," added the three-time winner in 2014. "I mean the one on 18 I can't believe how far I went, but that's how it is right now. It's very bouncy and firm."

Langer is nearly all the way to erasing the pain he felt at last year's Senior Open, when he lost on the fifth playoff hole to American Mark Wiebe. With a two-stroke lead starting the 72nd hole, Langer came undone at Royal Birkdale when he couldn't get out of a greenside bunker on the last.

But he isn't quite ready to count on accepting his second Senior British Open trophy. "There's still a lot of golf left. This is a tough course," he cautioned. "I think we're going to have a lot of wind tomorrow, so I still have to hit a lot of good golf shots and make some putts and stay out of trouble."

With his eight-stroke edge Langer has tied the Champions Tour record for the largest 54-hole lead in a 72-hole event set by Jack Nicklaus at the 1991 Senior PGA. And his 14-under total matched the tournament's 54-hole record set by Carl Mason at 14-under 196 in 2003 at Turnberry.

Gibson will be paired with Langer in the final round and is interested in observing the World Golf Hall of Fame member from a front-row seat. "Obviously Bernhard (Langer) is playing extremely well and the rest of us are packed in behind him," said the 52-year-old from Calgary.

"But links golf has its reputation for a reason, and I understand we're going to get some wind tomorrow. At least that's what people keep telling me. We've only had light breezes so far, and Bernhard is the only one who's figured it out. So with some wind tomorrow it's going to be very interesting."

Gibson has played with Langer before, but it's been two decades. "It's been a long time since I've had the pleasure of his company," he said. "I think it was in the World Cup in Capetown, in the early '90s, so it's been a long time."

Tied for fourth at 2-under 209 are Americans Scott Dunlap (65) and Tom Watson (69), and England's Chris Williams (71), while another stroke back are Fred Couples (68), England's Barry Lane (69) and Scotsman Colin Montgomerie (72).

Montgomerie, who won the previous Champions Tour event, the U.S. Senior Open in Oklahoma, is impressed with the performance of the indomitable German. "Bernhard's the best player out here and he's proving it," the 51-year-old Monty said. "I had a horrendous back nine, now the best I can do is second."

Ireland's Philip Walton matched the championship's low round by Tom Pernice Jr. on Friday with a 7-under 64. New Zealand's Greg Turner had the shot of the day, a hole-in-one with a 9-iron on the 165-yard 15th.

For all the scores, visit http://www.europeantour.com/seniortour/season=2014/tournamentid=2014862/leaderboard/index.html?showLeaderboard=Y.

Tweet