Leader Loren is still the jolly green giant

Published on Sunday 30 July 2006 01:06

LOREN Roberts' putting prowess earned him the nickname 'Boss of the Moss' and he continued to live up to that tag at the British Seniors Open at Turnberry yesterday. The 51-year-old American has led from the front and he maintained his form to extend his advantage to four shots with the lowest round of the day - a one-under par 69 for a total of 11-under.

The benign conditions on the Ailsa Course during the opening two rounds were a world away yesterday as the wind and rain arrived to scatter the leader board to the four corners of the Ayrshire coast. There were more bogeys than birdies peppered on the scoreboards of the 78 players that made Friday's cut, with just seven players still under-par at the Aberdeen Asset Management-sponsored event.

But Roberts, who arrived at Turnberry as one of the form players on the US Champions Tour, was a model of consistency, especially on the greens.

He hadn't dropped a shot in his first two rounds of 65 but finally blotted his copybook at the 39th hole of the tournament, when he took a five at the par four third. A birdie at the next immediately put him back to ten-under and an eagle at the seventh - there were just two all day - extended his lead to two shots. Bogeys followed at eight and 13 but a birdie at 11 kept him comfortably on top.

Roberts was the only player to complete the third round under par and Argentina's Eduardo Romero is his nearest challenger now. Bob Cameron is the best British hope - 17-shots behind the leader.

"It was the worst conditions of the week and to go round under par again was a great effort," said Roberts. "I've been pleased with my game this week and now I've got to produce it for one final round. It's not going to be easy because Eduardo has played well this week but I hit the ball better today than I've done for a long time.

"You've just got to remain patient and try and take advantage on the down-wind holes. It's a battle but I've hit most of my shots where I've wanted to and that's the aim for the final round."

But Argentine golf has rarely had it so good. Angel Cabrera and Andres Romero finished in the top ten at Hoylake last week and it's been left to another Romero who has challenged the American monopoly here.

Six of the top seven at Turnberry have made the trip across the Atlantic but Romero is refusing to give an inch to his final round playing partner.

The 52-year-old carded the lowest round of the week on Friday - a 63 packed with birdies - and he held his game together yesterday to remain in touch at the top. He carded a three-over par 73 to fall four shots behind Roberts but he's comfortably clear of third-placed Tim Simpson on five-under.

Romero has always had the long game to rival the top players but it's his touch on the greens that has often let him down throughout his career. But not this week, as he continues his love affair with Scotland.

He gave up yoga for the first time in five years at the start of the season to concentrate on his putting and it's paying off. Another solid round today will push Roberts all the way and he has vowed to carry on the fight. "The weather was terrible but I played OK and I'm not angry," said Romero, who won the Scottish Open at Loch Lomond four years ago.

"I made a couple of mistakes and when you do that in this weather you get punished. But I'm only four behind and if this weather continues that is nothing. It's just that Loren has played great all week and is looking really good.

"Even in this terrible weather, his putting was fantastic. I have to admit that I think he is one of the best putters in the world. I've just got to hope that he starts making some bogeys somewhere." But Roberts and Romero's playing partner Craig Stadler had a disastrous day. He started the day on nine-under but never got to grips with the weather and has fallen back to two-under.

The 53-year-old cult hero, a Masters winner 24 years ago, set the tone with bogeys at the first two holes and went through the turn four over for the day. A birdie at ten threatened to steady the ship but his mood took a turn for the worse with two double-bogeys at 11 and 12.

He was no happier when he reached the clubhouse with a seven-over par 77 to his name, but his woes were nothing compared to the misery compatriot Rick Karbowski suffered. The 51-year-old from Maine carded a 17-over par round of 87, to plummet down to 16-over for the tournament. His challenge is definitely over and the rest might as well pack their bags if Roberts' form continues today.