2018 SAS Championship – A look at the usual suspects heading into the final round

Langer, Sauers tied at 15-under headed into Championship Sunday

David Sweatman, Triangle Sports Network

By Peter Koutroumpis

editor@trianglesportsnet.com

CARY, N.C. – Bernhard Langer is contending for another SAS Championship title on Sunday at Prestonwood Country Club.

For anyone who’s followed this event over its 17-year history, that’s not a shocker.

Particularly considering that the event’s 2012 champion is always in the conversation to win a tournament on the PGA Tour Champions schedule.

The Tour’s four-time Charles Schwab Cup champion set the pace with scores of 62 and 67 on Friday and Saturday to put himself in position to assume the top of the table again when the weekend comes to an end.

Keeping pace and tied with Langer is Gene Sauers who set a new personal best with a combined score of 129 over 36 holes while leading the field in greens in regulation (33-36).

Though Langer and Sauers are firing on all cylinders, carding the second-lowest two-round combined scores of the Tour season, not far behind are Tom Lehman (-12), Jerry Kelly (-11), and Scott Parel (-9).

Leaderboard: 2018 SAS Championship

The 2015 SAS Championship champion, Lehman will play in Sunday’s final group for the second time in his last three starts.

A two-time winner of the Charles Schwab Cup (2011, 2012), Lehman has eight top-10s this year and is currently 16th in the Charles Schwab Cup.

Through two rounds Kelly has taken advantage of the par-5s, dropping six birdies on the six dotting the layout at Prestonwood.

A three-time PGA TOUR Champions winner, Kelly is one of seven players that has led the Cup standings this season and currently sits in the No. 3 spot.

Parel made six birdies on the back nine in Round Two and put himself in the top-five to start play on Sunday.

Winner of the Boeing Classic, Parel is one of five first-time winners on Tour this season, and is currently No. 7 in the Cup standings.

Kelly and Parel tee off at 12:24 p.m. followed by Langer, Sauers, and Lehman at 12:35 p.m.

Peter Koutroumpis: 401-323-8960, @pksport