Mark O'Meara takes two-stroke lead at Senior Players Championship

Mark O'Meara has been in position to win a tournament plenty of times, and he's certainly no stranger to success. But it has been a long time since the 53-year-old last found himself atop the leader board and he'd like nothing more than to claim the crystal trophy on Sunday afternoon.

After a solid start, O'Meara stumbled a bit down the stretch but held on for a 1-under par 69 at the Senior Players Championship on Saturday at TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm. His 205 gave him a two-stroke lead over second-round leader Russ Cochran, who faded into a tie for second place with his 3-over 73.

Loren Roberts, who won this event three years ago, shot a 2-under 68 to surge into a tie for second place with Cochran and Michael Allen (72).

O'Meara won 16 times on the PGA Tour, including two majors - the 1998 Masters and '98 British Open. Winning on the 50-and-older tour has proved more elusive. He won a team event, the Legends of Golf, in April, but hasn't yet picked up a solo win in four years on the Champions Tour. Nine times he has finished second.

"I'm still looking for my first individual win out here, so there's pressure on me," O'Meara said. "I believe it's in my best interest not to make any big mistakes, just try to play smart and make some putts. . . . If I can stay focused and shoot in the red, make some birdies, I should do all right."

O'Meara hasn't made many mistakes this week. One of the reasons he is the only player in the field to shoot under par in all three rounds is because he has been accurate off the tee. O'Meara has hit 31 of 42 fairways this week, including 11 of 14 on Saturday.

"Mark is so solid tee to green, and that's what this golf course rewards," Roberts said. "This is a ball-striker's golf course, tee-to-green golf course."

O'Meara was having a solid, if unspectacular round through the first nine holes, while Cochran and Allen were coming undone, each one bogeying two holes before the turn. Their struggles opened the door for O'Meara, who came into the day in third place.

After birdies on Nos. 12 and 13, O'Meara looked as if he was going to pull away. Then a poor tee shot on No. 16 resulted in a bogey, his first in 18 holes. At 18, he pulled his 7-iron just left of the green on his second shot and failed to get up and down on his way to a second bogey.

Though he would have preferred more of a cushion, O'Meara has fared well when holding the lead going into the final round. The last time he led going into the final day - the 1996 Mercedes Championship in Hawaii - he ended up winning the event.

"I really think the key for me [Sunday] is just to drive the ball in the fairway," he said. "If I do that, then it kind of sets up the rest of the game. . . . I've got my hands full. I've just got to go out there and play the best I can play. Whatever happens happens."

Roberts, who started the day tied for sixth place, said he didn't hit the ball particularly well in the third round but scored well because he made putts.

"That's the name of my game," he said. "That's the best club in my bag. If I'm going to play well, I've made some putts."

One of the best putts Roberts made was on the first hole. His second shot landed on the green about 15 feet to the right of the flag, just short of pin high. Unfortunately for him, the ball caught a little swale and kicked about 35 feet beyond the hole. Roberts made the 35-foot curler down the hill, turning what could have been a bad start into a huge momentum boost.

Joe Ozaki was making a charge up the leader board when he was derailed at the par-3 No. 17. He was at 3-under for the day when he sent his tee shot into the bunker, overcompensating for hitting it into the water on Friday. He finished with a 68 and is in fifth place at 208.

"No confidence," he said. "Safety shot."