Morgan Trying to Keep Senior ‘Top Dogs’ at Bay

One thing at the Senior Tour Championship is clear: There is plenty of star power on the leaderboard.

There are also three previous championship winners among the top five.

“It should be great, all the top players,” Jim Albus said. “I’m happy to be up there because it’s the top dogs this year that are right there.”

Gil Morgan, the defending champion and No. 2 on the money list, shot a 68 for a one-stroke lead Saturday with an eight-under-par 208 at the Dunes Golf and Beach Club at Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Behind him are Hale Irwin, 1994 winner Ray Floyd and 1994 runner-up Albus.

Two shots behind after a 66 is 1996 winner Jay Sigel.

“I’ve got a positive thought going into tomorrow,” Irwin said after shooting 70 in the only major Senior event he hasn’t won. “I don’t have a problem with all those people up there because if I play my game, I’ll be fine.”

Morgan, a 12-time Senior PGA Tour winner the past two years, was three shots behind Floyd when the third round began.

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A career-best eight-under 64 vaulted Canadian Lorie Kane into a one-shot lead after two rounds of the Japan Classic at Hanno. . . . Bob Tway shot a six-under 66 and took a one-stroke lead over Dudley Hart after the third round of the Sarazen World Open at Braselton, Ga. Hart fired a tournament-record 62, including a 28 on the front nine.

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In Front

Results through Saturday’s action (Complete scores, Page 18):

SENIOR TOUR CHAMPIONSHIP-Par 72

Gil Morgan: 70-70-68-208 -8

Hale Irwin: 66-73-70-209 -7

Ray Floyd: 69-68-72-209 -7

Jim Albus: 71-68-70-209 -7

SARAZEN WORLD OPEN-Par 72

Bob Tway: 66-70-66-202 -14

Dudley Hart: 72-69-62-203 -13

Ricardo Gonzalez: 69-68-70-207 -9

LPGA JAPAN CLASSIC-Par 72

Lorie Kane: 70-64-134 -10

Huang Yu-chen: 67-68-135 -9

Hiromi Kobayashi: 68-68-136 -8