Langer in command at Carnoustie

Germany’s Bernhard Langer takes a three shot lead into the final day’s play of the British Senior Open at Carnoustie after a third round 69 moved the German clear of this year’s United States Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin.

Langer, chasing a first major success on the Seniors Tour after 7 top-ten finishes, finished on 207 for his first 54 holes.

Langer had started the day tied with Pavin but as the German made hay in the wind, Pavin’s one over par 72 was enough to see the American hold onto second place but with a gap to overcome in the final round if he is to capture a maiden Seniors Tour major.

Two-time US Masters champion Langer had moved to six- under par courtesy of birdies at the first, sixth and 15th holes before a bunkered tee shot at the last cost him a bogey.

”It was a good round of golf again,” said the 2002 Ryder Cup Captain. “I played very solid, and wasn’t in too much trouble for the most part.

Six players finished the day tied for third on two under – five of them American. Fred Funk, Jay Don Blake, Russ Cochran, Larry Mize and Jay Haas were joined by Wales’ former Senior Tour Order of Merit winner and 2006 Ryder Cup captain, Ian Woosnam; while England’s Carl Mason and another American in Gary Hallberg are another shot back on one-under.

Mark Calcavecchia had also briefly threatened the lead. After starting the day two-under, the American had reached 4-under through six holes before bogeys on the 9th and 16th were followed by a quadruple-bogey on the last to drop Calcavecchia back to 2-over for the tournament.

Despite his lead, Langer was understandably wary of Carnoustie’s fearsome reputation.

“I am aware that this golf course is one of the toughest links you will ever play,” he said. “And I am aware that a three-shot lead is nothing if very little around here. I am going to have to play very solidly again in the final round if I am going to lift the trophy.”

Ryder Cup captains head-to-head at Carnoustie

It is a tale of two Ryder Cup captains at the head of the British Senior Open at Carnoustie, as former European captain Bernhard Langer and current United States captain Corey Pavin finished second day’s play locked together in a tie for the lead at 4-under par.

Langer had led the tournament after day one, albeit tied with another American – Jay Don Blake – and added a second round 71 to his opening 67 for a 138 halfway total. Pavin matched the German’s score with a second successive round of 69.

The duo are one shot clear of a quartet of players on 3-under par, which includes Americans Jay Haas, Dan Forsman, and former US Masters champions Larry Mize and Welshman Ian Woosnam – also a former European Ryder Cup captain.

Both Langer and Pavin are seeking a first Major in the over-50s ranks and neither player did their chances any harm. Langer is looking to better his record of seven top-ten finishes in Senior Majors and add to the two US Masters titles he won in 1985 and 1993. Pavin meanwhile is playing in his first Seniors Major.

Both players could have been further clear with Langer carding two birdies on the front nine, before bogeys on both par-three holes on the inward half. Pavin had made four birdies during his round, but standing on the 18th tee, hooked his drive out-of-bounds to run up a double bogey.

“I could have putted a bit better,” Langer said. “The ball did not drop for me like it did in the first round.”

Tom Watson, who missed the cut in his last British Open appearance at St Andrews last week, made sure he would be around for the weekend following a second round 71, which included a 15-foot birdie putt on the last green for a par 71 to seal his spot for the weekend.

But there was no fairytale ending to the career of New Zealander Bob Charles – the first left-hander to win the Open Championship. Charles missed the cut following a second round 78, including a double bogey on the last hole. Charles, 74, promptly announced that it would be his last competitive round, bringing the curtain down on a career that saw 64 tournament victories.

Tiger ‘no certainty’ for Ryder Cup place says Pavin

United States’ Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin has suggested current world number one Tiger Woods is not guaranteed his spot in the team, and will have to play his way into Pavin’s plans for The Celtic Manor in October.

Woods took five months out of the game after his private live become headline news and has since played only three tournaments – the US Masters; the Quail Hollow Championship and Players Championship at TPC Sawgrass where we withdrew following a neck injury.

Woods is currently in 11th place in the US Ryder Cup points race, and with only eight players qualifying automatically for Pavin’s team, the odds are that Woods will need to rely on a wild-card pick if he is to lock horns with the European team, unless he returns to playing regularly on the PGA Tour.

However, Pavin has gone on record saying he won’t be giving Woods any favourable treatment when it comes to selecting the remainder of his team should he fail to make one of the eight automatic berths.

“I’m not going to treat Tiger any different than any other player,” Pavin said after the final round of the Byron Nelson Championship. “He’s certainly not going to be an automatic pick… he’s just going to be treated like everyone else.”

Couples wins again on Champions Tour

Fred Couples won his third successive Champions Tour event after a course-record 62 gave him a two-stroke victory over US Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin in the Cap Cana Championship, Dominican Republic.

Couples, the 1992 US Masters champion, has now won three of his first four Champions Tour events, and only narrowly missed out on a clean sweep to date after being pipped in his first Tour appearance in Hawaii. Couples has yet to shoot more than 68 and is a whopping 77-under par from the 12 rounds he has played on the Champions Tour so far. His earnings on the Tour stand at just short of $1 million after collecting the first prize of $240,000.

Couples finished the tournament on 21-under par – a total of 195 – over the Jack Nicklaus designed Punta Espada course and will now set his sights on emulating Chi Chi Rodriguez, who won four straight events in 1987.

Pavin, who will captain the United States’ Ryder Cup team at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales this October, finished behind Couples after a final round 66 but can count himself unfortunate after his approach to the par-4 14th hole struck a sprinkler head and ricocheted over the green and into a waste area. Pavin could do no better than a bogey on the hole and relinquished the lead to Couples who went on to score. Couples had started the final round two shots behind Pavin and one behind South African Nick Price.

Russ Cochran shot a 67 to finish third at 14-under while Price dropped himself out of contention after finding water with his approach shot to the 15th hole and an eventual double bogey en-route to a closing 71. Price finished in a tie for fourth at 13-under with Tom Pernice Jr. and Bernhard Langer who both carded closing rounds of 67.

Pavin names Ryder Cup assistants

US Ryder Cup skipper Corey Pavin has named four assistants to help him when his team visit The Celtic Manor Resort, Wales in October – two of whom have never featured in Ryder Cup competition.

Pavin has selected former Ryder Cup stars Tom Lehman and Davis Love III, along with Jeff Sluman and Paul Goydos as his assistants.

Lehman, who captained the US team in 2006 is one of Pavin’s closest friends and chose Pavin as an assistant for that match, in which Europe won with an record-equalling margin to achieve three successive victories in the competition.

Davis Love III harboured hopes of qualifying for the team, but will now appear at the Welsh venue in another capacity. The 20-time PGA Tour winner is widely tipped to take the reins of the US team in 2012 at Medinah.

Sluman, a former US PGA champion never made the Ryder Cup as a player but has a wealth of experience in Ryder Cup-style competiton, having been assistant to Jack Nicklaus for three straight Presidents Cup matches where he was heavily involved in decision making.

Goydos is a surprise appointment, however, and has been quoted as saying his only Ryder Cup experience comes from what he has watched on TV. But he is among the most popular players on the tour and Pavin believes his lack of experience won’t be a hindrance.

According to Goydos it was a tough choice for Pavin to make, and it was between him and Brett Favre for the role – a dig at Fred Couples’ decision to appoint Michael Jordon to his Presidents Cup team.

The Ryder Cup will be played between Oct. 1st -3rd at The Celtic Manor Resort in Wales, where the United States will bid to defend the trophy they won in 2008 at Valhalla against Colin Montgomerie’s Europe team.

And you can be there with YourGolfTravel who are offering a range of Ryder Cup packages for the action.

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