Bogey Puts Watson in a Tie at Senior Players

Tom Watson stumbled at the end of the third round of the Senior Players Championship on Saturday at Dearborn, Mich., while Craig Stadler and Mike McCullough scrambled.

The result: a three-way tie heading into today’s final round in the Champions Tour major.

Watson, coming off an eight-under-par 64 on Friday in blustery weather, made two birdies and scrambled for several pars before making his first bogey in 37 holes at No. 17.

With a par at 18, Watson shot a one-under 71, leaving him at 11-under 205 and tied with Stadler and McCullough. Stadler shot a 65, the day’s best round, and McCullough had a 68.

“I’m playing with the guys I have to beat,” Watson said. “That’s how I like it because I can see how they’re handling the pressure. I just hope it goes better than it did at the Senior Open when [winner] Bruce [Lietzke] handled it a lot better than I did.”

Five players, including first-round leader Gil Morgan and two-time champion Dave Stockton, are four shots back at seven under.

The key to Stadler’s round Saturday was his putter, which he used sparingly. Stadler needed only 24 putts to get around the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, including a 13-footer to save par from a greenside bunker on the final hole.

“I putted consistently well today, and I hadn’t done that in ages,” Stadler said. “It’s nice to get over a putt and feel like you’ve got more than a 1% chance of knocking it in.”

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Kenny Perry never expected to be in the lead after three rounds at the Greater Milwaukee Open, especially not at eight under par.

The 6,759-yard Brown Deer Park course, one of the shortest on the PGA Tour, usually produces scores much lower than that after 54 holes. But rain, winds and rough have made things tougher this year.

Perry, who has finished in the top five each of the last three years at the tournament, took the lead at 202 with a four-under 66.

Brenden Pappas, who shot a 63, was among six golfers one stroke back. Jay Don Blake (71), the 36-hole leader, also was at 203, along with Jerry Kelly (70), Heath Slocum (68), Steve Allan (68) and Patrick Sheehan (70).

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Juli Inkster shot a five-under 67 in the rain-delayed third round of the Canadian Women’s Open for a share of the lead with Beth Daniel.

Daniel, 46, shot her third consecutive 69 to match Inkster at nine-under 207. The 23-year LPGA veteran heads into the final round looking for her 33rd career victory, but first since 1995.

Daniel and Inkster -- both LPGA and World Hall of Fame members -- were the only two players without a bogey Saturday at Vancouver.

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Ernie Els extended his lead in the Scottish Open to five shots after three rounds with a four-under 67 at Luss.

Els, tuning up to defend his British Open title next week, had five birdies and one bogey to get to 15-under 198.

Darren Clarke shot a 64 and was tied for second place with Phillip Price at 10 under.