Sauers Up by Three at U.S. Senior Open


Unheralded Gene Sauers has found himself atop the leaderboard at the U.S. Senior Open. The fourth of five majors on the Champions Tour is taking place at Oak Tree National in Edmond, Okla.

The 51-year-old Sauers is a three-time winner on the PGA Tour. But the Georgia native could not compete professionally between 2006 and 2010 after being diagnosed with Stevens-Johnson syndrome, a rare, life-threatening skin condition.

Sauers' return to competition was also slowed by rheumatoid arthritis, but the skin disease had possible fatal consequences. "The doctors said I had a 25 percent chance to survive," he said during a practice round this week. "I'm lucky to be hitting the ball, lucky to be playing."

But Sauers has played outstanding golf in the heat and humidity of Oklahoma, becoming the only entrant to card three under-par rounds. His 69, 69 and 68 gives Sauers a 7-under total of 206, three strokes ahead of Bernhard Langer, who shot 71 Saturday, and Scott Dunlap (72). Sauers will be paired with Langer in Sunday's final group.

Four behind Sauers is first- and second-round leader Colin Montgomerie, who posted a 74 to drop to 3-under 210. Another stroke back in a tie for fifth at 2-under 211 - the final 54-hole scores under par - are Americans Marco Dawson (69) and Jeff Sluman (72), and 51-year-old Fijian Vijay Singh (71).

Dawson opened with a 66 and then skied to a 76 Friday. The 50-year-old, who was born in Germany but is a long-time resident of Florida, spoke for the field when describing the challenging set-up at Oak Tree National. "It's just a tough course," he said after his Saturday round.

"There's no run-ups around the greens. Everything is flat, fly it on the green or just on the fringe and chipping around the green, you know, you've seen it, I'm sure, guys using utilities and, you know, chip and runs a lot," added Dawson. "There's really not a whole lot in that short, short grass that you can do other than run the ball and then, of course, in the high grass you have to use a lofted club."

Tied for ninth at even-par 213 are American Woody Austin and South African David Frost, who each posted 71s. Australian Peter Senior carded one of only three under-par rounds on Saturday, a 68, and is in solo 10th at 214.

Nine behind Sauers are three Americans - Rocco Mediate, Russ Cochran and Mark Brooks, and Mexico's Esteban Toledo.

Mediate confirmed Dawson's assessment of the course. "Just nasty conditions out there," said the 51-year-old Pennsylvanian, a six-time PGA Tour winner with two titles on the Champions Tour. "Three-putted 17. Drove it right on 18. I worked so hard. You do that on 17. All the air gone. But I had a good putt on 18. I played decent. I'm kind of smoke and mirrors this week.

"I'm really not playing that well. It will eventually catch up with you. That's what happened. I really actually hit a really good shot on 17. Good tee shot on 16. Kicked it. It's a U.S. Open. Those things are going to happen. I would just love to have zipped in two more birdies, but that doesn't happen on this deal. The golf course is nasty today. It's good."

Defending champion Kenny Perry has posted rounds of 75, 74 and 72. The 53-year-old Kentuckian admitted that Oak Tree National is getting the best of him. "This is just a hard golf course . . . I play poorly on Bermuda-type golf courses like this that have rough and stuff and, you know, this golf course pinches in.

"I hit a lot of 5-woods. Took the driver right out of my hands. So, you know, I'm just not managing it very well," added Perry, who won last year's Open at Omaha Country Club in Nebraska. "The greens - the green complexes are hard and I'm putting poorly. Consequently, shooting pretty poor scores."

For complete scoring details, visit http://www.usga.org/ChampEventScoreDetail.aspx?id=17179869345&year=2014&type=alllb.