It was inevitable.
It was inevitable because Bernhard Langers is the Doomsday Ball-Striking Machine on the Champions Tour.
It was inevitable that Bernhard Langer emerged in Philadelphia as the 54-hole leader at the Senior Players Championship.
Langer shot the low round of the day among the contenders Saturday, a two-under par 69 that gave him a three shot lead over Jay Don Blake going into Sunday’s finale at the Philadelphia Cricket Club.
There is a group of five players who will start the final 18 four shots behind — Jeff Sluman (70), West Short Jr. (72), Woody Austin (71), Brandt Jobe (74) and Bart Bryant (72).
It will be a difficult task for those chasing Langer. Sunday’s forecast is for winds that will make the difficult course even harder.
Langer took control on the back nine. He overcame three bogeys on his front nine and he gave himself a nice cushion with back-to-back birdies at 15 and 16.
He already has the season’s first major in his pocket. Sunday he will try and make it two straight.
