SNOQUALMIE — Loren Roberts, Mark McNulty, Bernhard Langer and Mark O’Meara have been four of the best players on the Champions Tour this season, so it’s probably no surprise to find them grouped near the top of the leaderboard after two rounds of the Boeing Classic.
Through 36 holes, Roberts and McNulty share the lead with 11-under-par totals of 133 heading into today’s final round at TPC Snoqualmie Ridge. Both had 7-under-par 65s on Saturday, and tied with David Eger and Jim Thorpe for the low rounds of the day.
Langer and O’Meara are just two strokes back, tied with 9-under 135s. Langer posted a 6-under 66 and O’Meara, the first-round leader, had a 3-under 69.
“There’s a lot of guys looming right there,” said Roberts, who will be joined by McNulty and Langer in today’s final threesome. “It’s going to be a shootout.”
On this year’s tour money list, Langer ranks first, Roberts is third, McNulty is fifth and O’Meara is seventh. Langer and Roberts have both earned over $1 million, and McNulty and O’Meara around $800,000.
O’Meara is winless on the 50-and-over Champions Tour this season, but Langer, Roberts and McNulty have won four of the past seven tournaments, including the Senior British Open, and seven of 18 tournaments overall in 2009.
Also in the hunt are Dan Forsman and Craig Stadler, who are both at 8-under 136. Stadler shot a 66 on Saturday and Forsman had a 67.
“I think Mark and I are both going to have to look at shooting 4 or 5 under par maybe just to stay ahead of the pack,” Roberts said. “I expect those guys (giving chase) to continue to play well.”
Roberts, an American, and McNulty, a native of Zimbabwe, have already waged one memorable showdown this year. It happened five weeks ago when the two finished tied with Fred Funk at the Senior British Open at the Sunningdale Old Course in Berkshire, England. Funk was eliminated on the first playoff hole, and Roberts went on to win on the third hole. Langer, meanwhile, missed that playoff by one stroke.
On Saturday, scores at the Boeing Classic were lower compared to Friday’s first round, and that was no doubt due to some overnight showers that softened the course. Players were sending their approach shots right at the pins, and the balls were often stopping almost where they landed.
Roberts, in particular, was sharp with his shots to the green. Over the last 14 holes he needed just one putt on 13 holes, with several of those putts from just a few feet.
“You could play the golf course today,” he said. “You could go after those pins. … I noticed a lot of guys moving up the board today early on.”
In the 78-man field, 41 players went under par on Saturday.
Roberts began his day with five straight pars, but then ran off three birdies in a row. He then had five consecutive pars before closing with birdies on four of the last five holes.
McNulty, meanwhile, spread his birdies evenly through the round. He finished with eight to go with one bogey.
“Fortunately I played well again today,” McNulty said. “I played nice and steady all the way through the round. I hit some good shots.”
Langer matched McNulty with eight birdies, but gave back two strokes with a pair of bogeys.
After opening with a 3-under 69, which left him three strokes behind O’Meara on Friday, “I knew I needed two good rounds on the weekend to stay in the hunt,” Langer said.
With so many good players clustered near the top, there is a good chance of a playoff today. Two of the first four Boeing Classics went to playoffs, including a seven-player playoff in 2007 the largest in PGA Tour history involving Stadler, David Eger, Joe Ozaki, R.W. Eaks, Dana Quigley, Denis Watson and Gil Morgan. Watson won with an eagle on the second playoff hole.
Notes
Today’s final round will begin at 11:40 a.m. today, the same starting time as Saturday. … An estimated crowd of 20,000 showed up for Saturday’s round, up slightly from Friday’s first round. … Defending champion Tom Kite shot a 1-over 73 on Saturday and is tied for 24th at 2-under 142. … Two of the top 10 players on this year’s Champions Tour money list are absent Joey Sindelar (No. 4) is helping his son move to college and Jay Haas (No. 8) withdrew Friday with an arm injury.
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