Three share second-day lead at Cap Cana Championship

text size

Miller/Getty Images

Mark O'Meara carded eight birdies and just one bogey in his second-round 65.

CAP CANA, Dominican Republic -- Mark O'Meara, Eduardo Romero and Keith Fergus share the lead after Saturday's second round at the $2.1 million Cap Cana Championship. The trio is tied at 8-under-par 136. The 54-hole event concludes on Sunday.

Five players are two strokes behind the trio, including former PGA TOUR winners Joey Sindelar and Tim Simpson, both seeking their first wins on the Champions Tour.

O'Meara got himself in position for his first Champions Tour win when he tied the tournament scoring record with a 7-under-par 65, which was set by Joe Ozaki (second round/2008). It was later matched by Vicente Fernandez in the final round. Moments after O'Meara finished with his 65 on Saturday, Fulton Allem became the third player to match Ozaki's 65.

"I was very pleased with my round and it was nice to see it all come together. You can never complain about shooting 7 under par," O'Meara said. "This golf course tests you and you have to think all the time out there."

As the day wound down, it appeared Fergus would be in good position to take a two-stroke lead into the final round when he stood at No. 18 with his two-stroke lead on the field. However, he made a double bogey on the final hole to drop back into a tie with O'Meara. Romero joined the pair atop the leaderboard minutes later when he missed a 6-foot birdie putt at No. 18 that would have given him sole possession of the lead.

"I was disappointed to miss the putt at No. 18, but I'm in a good position going into the final round," said Romero, a five-time winner on the Champions Tour, including the Toshiba Classic earlier this month. "We've got a long way to go and I know this tournament will be decided on the last nine holes. I'm playing well; I just have to stay focused."

O'Meara is hoping to end a five-year winless streak on Sunday. His last official victory came at the European Tour's 2004 Dubai Desert Classic, where he beat Paul McGinley by one stroke.

"I had a chance to win earlier this year at Newport Beach (Toshiba Classic), but finished second (to Romero)," O'Meara added. "We have another round to go, but it would be nice to play well again and have a chance to win the tournament."

With winds being less of a factor on Saturday, O'Meara's round included eight birdies and just one bogey. The lone blemish in his round came at No. 3, where he missed a 3 ½-foot putt. In one stretch he birdied four of five holes on the back nine.