CARNOUSTIE, Scotland - Bernhard Langer took a three-shot lead in the Senior British Open after shooting a 2-under 69 in the third round at Carnoustie on Saturday.
The German has yet to win on the U.S. Champions Tour but is in position to change that after outplaying his nearest rival, Corey Pavin.
The pair set out as co-leaders at 4 under, but three bogeys dropped the American Ryder Cup team captain to a 1-over 72.
Despite his lead, Langer was wary of Carnoustie's fearsome reputation.
"I am aware that this golf course is one of the toughest links you will ever play," he said. "And I am aware that a three-shot lead is nothing if very little around here. I am going to have to play very solidly again in the final round if I am going to lift the trophy."
A group of six players go into the final round at 2 under, one shot behind Pavin and four off the lead.
Five of them are Americans, reflecting three days of domination at the top of the leaderboard.
Joining Larry Mize, Jay Haas, Russ Cochran, Jay Don Blake and Fred Funk is Welshman Ian Woosnam.
Funk climbed more than 15 places after a bogey-free 4-under 67, the lowest round of the day.
Canadian Open
TORONTO - Dean Wilson shot his third straight 5-under 65 to take a four-stroke lead over record-setting Carl Pettersson, Tim Clark and Bob Estes in the Canadian Open, pulling away with three straight birdies at rainy St. George's.
Before Wilson and Clark teed off, Pettersson shot a 10-under 60 in calm and dry morning conditions to break the tournament record, missing a 59 when his 30-foot birdie putt from the fringe grazed the left edge on the difficult par-4 18th.
Estes had a 66, and Clark shot a 69 to match Pettersson at 11 under. A day after matching the then-tournament record with a 62, Kevin Sutherland had a 65 to join Bryce Molder (63), Trevor Immelman (65) and Brock Mackenzie (68) at 10 under.
Evian Masters
EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France - Morgan Pressel took a two-stroke lead after three rounds of the Evian Masters on Saturday, closing with an eagle for a 5-under 67.
The American began the day three strokes behind after a 72 Friday. She will enter today's final round at 11 under, followed by South Koreans Jiyai Shin and Jeong Jang.
Pressel felt she could have been further ahead but for a mistake in her club selection on the third hole.
"I got off to a good start: birdied the first hole, made a little bit of a mess on three, more of a mental error than anything," Pressel said. "I just shouldn't have hit driver off the tee and made bogey."
Shin, who was briefly ranked No. 1 following Lorena Ochoa's retirement this year, had five birdies and a bogey in a round of 68. Jang shot a 70.
Second-round leader Mika Miyazato had a 74. She fell four strokes behind Pressel after a round marked by five bogeys, including a stretch of three in a row.
Brittany Lincicome, one of the longest drivers in women's golf, had a 65. Her round included six birdies and an eagle on the 16th hole. She was three strokes behind Pressel and tied for fourth with Alexis Thompson (67) at 8 under.
European Tour
STOCKHOLM - K.J. Choi of South Korea and Richard Johnson of Sweden shared the third-round lead at the Scandinavian Masters after British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen blew a chance to join them.
Choi had three birdies and two bogeys at Bro Hof Slott to shoot a 1-under 71 for a total of 10-under 206. Cheered on by a large home crowd, Johnson mixed four birdies with two bogeys in shooting 70.
Oosthuizen could have made it a three-way tie for the lead, but he bogeyed his final hole to end on a 70 and at 9 under.
Pavin will meet Woods at US PGA about Ryder Cup
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland (AP) - American Ryder Cup captain Corey Pavin will talk to Tiger Woods at next month's U.S. PGA Championship to learn whether he wants to be in his team at Celtic Manor in Wales in October.
Woods is seventh in the points table that will provide eight automatic members for the United States against Europe.
However, he could drop down the standings and need a wild card if the likes of Ricky Barnes and Hunter Mahan outperform him at the Bridgestone Invitational and the U.S. PGA in August.