Golf | Haas' eagle on 17 makes race of it

ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Bernhard Langer and Jeff Sluman appeared ready to run away from the field as the third round of the Senior PGA Championship was coming to a close Saturday.

That was before they were both undone by a string of bogeys. And then came Jay Haas, who's stunning eagle-2 from the rough on Oak Hill Country Club's No. 17 vaulted him into contention, making this $2 million tournament a compelling three-player race heading into the final round.

"Big swings can happen in a heartbeat," said Langer, who was standing alongside Sluman at the 18th tee when the cheers came up behind them for Haas.

"That's pretty cool, isn't it really?" Sluman added.

As for Haas: "It was a pretty amazing turn of events."

When it all shook out, Langer found himself alone on top after an even-par 70 put him at 2-over 212 for the tournament.

Haas, who shot a 72, and Sluman, the local favorite who shot 70, were one stroke back.

Scott Simpson and Bill Britton were tied at 216 and Greg Norman was part of a four-man group at 217. Otherwise, there's no one else close at an ever-stingy East Course that's surrendered only nine subpar rounds over the first three days.

Mickelson still in lead

FORT WORTH, Texas — Phil Mickelson was already frustrated by his slow start in the third round of the Crowne Plaza Invitational.

Then he saw a scoreboard.

"I couldn't see the first five holes how anybody was doing," Mickelson said. "I walk up to the sixth tee and I see I'm three or four shots back. That was kind of a rude awakening."

Lefty responded by hitting a perfect drive at the 394-yard 6th and then his approach to 5 feet. That was the first of his seven birdies over the closing stretch for a 5-under 65 on Saturday that kept him alone in the lead at Colonial at 12-under 198.

When he made a 17-foot birdie from the front edge of the closing hole, after the others had finished playing, Mickelson took a one-stroke lead over Rod Pampling (63) and Stephen Ames (64).

While Mickelson struggled early, with a bogey and several missed chances, Pampling and Ames got off to fast starts. Ames had three birdies in the first four holes and finished without a bogey. Pampling was 5 under through seven holes.

Ryan Moore (71) of Puyallup was 12 shots back at 210 total.

Notes

• Jeong Jang, fresh from two straight top-3 finishes that moved her to fifth on the 2008 LPGA money list, shot a 3-under 69 to tie Erica Blasberg for the lead after three rounds at the Corning Classic. The top two were one shot ahead of Leta Lindley (70) and Katherine Hull (72). Jimin Kang (72), the 2005 Corning champ and a graduate of Kings High School in Shoreline, was four shots off the lead.

• Robert Karlsson shot a 2-under 70 in windy conditions to take a four-stroke lead after the third round of the BMW PGA Championship. Karlsson was tied for second four shots behind Paul McGinley overnight, but finished the third round leading Miguel-Angel Jimenez (72) and Oliver Wilson (73) by four shots.