Jenkins and Thorpe lead 3M Championship

Blaine, MN (Sports Network) - Tom Jenkins and Jim Thorpe both fired rounds of eight-under-par 64 on Friday to share the first-round lead of the 3M Championship.
Champions Tour leading money winner Jay Haas, Craig Stadler, Bobby Wadkins, John Jacobs, D.A. Weibring, John Harris, Gil Morgan, Q School winner Boonchu Ruangkit and the all-time wins leader on the elder circuit, Hale Irwin share third place at minus-seven.
This event went off as scheduled when organizers decided to press forward after Wednesday's tragic bridge accident. The TPC of Twin Cities is about 15 miles from the site of the tragedy.
"In the wake of the recent tragedy in our community, we will additionally raise money for the Minnesota Red Cross through on-site efforts this weekend with support from the tournament, the players and the Champions Tour," 3M Championship Director Hollis Cavner said on Thursday...Full Story

Smyth birdies his way to Senior British lead

Gullane, Scotland (Sports Network) - Ireland's Des Smyth birdied his final four holes on Friday to move into sole possession of the lead after two rounds of the Senior British Open Championship.
He posted his second consecutive one-under 70 and is in the lead at two-under- par 140.
Muirfield showed its teeth on Friday as not one player in the 142-man field broke 70. One player shot a 90 and only five golfers are under par through 36 holes thanks to heavy winds.
Gordon Brand Jr., one of the first-round co-leaders, shot a two-over 73 and is tied for second place with 2002 Senior Players Champion Stewart Ginn (70), two-time champion Tom Watson (71) and the player who lost in a playoff here last year, Eduardo Romero (71). The group came in at minus-one.
Nick Faldo, who grabbed a piece of the first-round lead in his Champions Tour debut on Thursday, struggled a bit on Friday with the putter. He only managed a three-over 74 and is tied for sixth place at even-par 142....Full Story

Eaks grabs first at Dick's Sporting Goods Open

Endicott, NY (Sports Network) - R.W. Eaks used an ace, an eagle and six birdies to fire a 10-under 62 on Saturday and move into the lead after two rounds of the inaugural Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
He finished 36 holes at 11-under-par 133 and is one clear at En-Joie Golf Club, the host course of the former B.C. Open on the PGA Tour.
Bruce Vaughan shot an eight-under 64 in round two and is alone in second place at minus-10.
Scott Hoch finished with four birdies in his last five holes to shoot a six- under 66. The first-round co-leader has third place at nine-under-par 135, one shot better than Craig Stadler, another overnight leader...Full Story

Stadler, Hoch and Spittle lead new Champions event

Endicott, NY (Sports Network) - Craig Stadler, Scott Hoch and Rod Spittle each shot three-under 69 Friday to take the lead at a new Champions Tour event, the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.
They led a group of seven players who were tied at two-under 70.
The new event swept into En-Joie Golf Club this year after the PGA Tour's B.C. Open, a longtime staple of that circuit's schedule, was lifted this season, leaving the area without a professional golf tournament.
Stadler played in his first B.C. Open in 1977 and posted six top-10 finishes in 13 starts, eventually winning it in 2003 -- his last victory on the PGA Tour.
He's glad there is still a professional stop at En-Joie....Full Story

Bryant wins Senior Open

Kohler, WI (Sports Network) - Brad Bryant fired a four-under 68 Sunday to win the U.S. Senior Open as third-round leader Tom Watson collapsed on the back nine.
Bryant collected his first major championship win and fourth Champions Tour crown as he finished at six-under-par 282.
The 52-year-old Bryant, who trailed by five strokes at the beginning of the round, notched the second biggest final-round comeback in U.S. Senior Open history. Allen Doyle closed with an eight-under 63 in 2005 to overtake D.A. Weibring and Loren Roberts for a one-stroke win...Full Story

Colin Montgomerie gets first win in 19 months

Straffan, Ireland (Sports Network) - After 19 months of waiting, Colin Montgomerie was a champion again.
The eight-time Order of Merit winner shot a five-under 65 Sunday to hold off Niclas Fasth and win the Smurfit Kappa European Open, picking up his 31st European Tour victory and first since December 2005.
After finishing his round, Montgomerie waited out an 80-minute weather delay to see if Fasth could catch him. When Fasth failed to make birdie at the 18th after play resumed, Montgomerie had his win.
He finished at 11-under-par 269...Full Story

Nielsen's 64 gives him Commerce Bank lead

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Lonnie Nielsen fired a seven-under 64 on Saturday to move into the lead after two rounds of the Commerce Bank Championship.
He finished 36 holes at 12-under-par 130, which was two off Jim Thorpe's tournament record, and is three clear of Tom McKnight, who shot a second-round 66 at the Red Course at Eisenhower Park.
Defending champion John Harris is still in the hunt. He shot his second consecutive four-under 67 on Saturday and is tied for third place with Jay Sigel, who carded a 66, at minus-eight...Full Story

Roberts shoots 64 to lead Commerce Bank

East Meadow, NY (Sports Network) - Loren Roberts fired a bogey-free, seven- under 64 Friday to take the lead after one round of the Commerce Bank Championship.
Roberts birdied his last two holes, and five of his last eight, to take a one- shot lead over Eduardo Romero, who also played without a bogey to shoot six- under 65.
Lonnie Nielsen had a five-under 66 and was in third place, while Jay Haas, a four-timer winner this season, joined defending champion John Harris to lead a group of six players at 67.
Roberts began his round on No. 10 and made a run of birdies that left him at five-under around the turn.
His first birdie came from 10 feet at the 11th. He followed that with another at the 12th, then a four-foot birdie putt at the 14th.
All of them were set up with good approach shots into Eisenhower Park's fast greens...Full Story

Champions PGA Tour: Haas collects fourth win of the year

Concord, MA (Sports Network) - Jay Haas collected his fourth win of the season on Sunday when he came from behind to title at the Bank of America Championship.
He fired a final-round, six-under 66 to finish regulation at 13-under-par 203.
"I didn't know I was leading until 13 or 14," admitted Haas, who padded his money lead with the $247,500 first-place check. "I was fortunate the guys didn't make a bigger run at me there on the last few holes."
Leonard Thompson shot a four-under 68 and tied for second place with Brad Bryant, who posted a 67 on Sunday. The pair came in at 10-under-par 206 at Nashawtuc Country Club.
Overnight leader Tom Purtzer seemed to be in control of the tournament until a flurry of missed putts after the turn. He bogeyed three in a row from the 10th, then double-bogeyed the 17th to eliminate any possibility of a miracle finish.
Purtzer shot a one-over 73 to take fourth place at minus-nine.
Purtzer now has held the 36-hole lead at this event three years in a row with no wins to show for it.
"I feel bad for Tom," said Haas. "He's probably one of my two or three best friends out here. I thought maybe he and I might get into a playoff. I was hoping for that."
Any hope of a playoff with his friend was dashed around the turn.