Bland & Sigel lead into final day

After going more than three years without a victory, Jay Sigel is a round away from consecutive wins.

Sigel shot his second straight 4-under 68 on Saturday to grab a share of the second-round lead with John Bland in the NFL Golf Classic.

``There were a couple of times this year where I said what the heck am I doing,'' said Sigel, a seven-time winner on the senior tour. ``I was playing well but didn't have the results and I was frustrated. That's why last week was very special.''

Sigel, who won the Farmers Charity Classic last week in Michigan, is trying to become the first senior to win consecutive tour events since Jim Thorpe last year.

However, there is a crowd chasing the leaders. Three shots separate the top seven players in an event where the tour's plus-55 group is making its mark.

Five of the top seven are at least age 56, including Sigel (58) and Bland (56). Players 55 and older have won six of 15 tournaments this year.

This is an interesting group.

Bland of South Africa is winless on the Senior PGA Tour since 1996. He shot a 69 to match Sigel at 8-under 136.

Dave Eichelberger, whose bad back held up for a second straight day, shot a 71 in the swirling wind on the Upper Montclair Country Club to finish at 7 under. He won a rain-shortened event earlier this year.

Monday qualifier James Mason, the first-round leader, dropped two strokes back with a 73.

Dave Barr, Jim Colbert and Bruce Summerhays -- all winless this year -- were three shots back.

Sigel had six birdies in his round that got tougher as the winds swirled to 30 mph on the back nine, where he also got both of his bogeys.

``I think I am in a better frame of mind,'' Sigel said. ``I am more comfortable with myself. I don't know if you would call it a groove yet, but I hit a lot of good shots today.''

During the drought, the two-time U.S. Amateur champion admittedly wondered whether he would ever win again, particularly after he returned last year after missing five months following surgery on both shoulders.

Bland has five senior victories, winning once in 1995 and four times in 1996.

``It's a funny game, you can be really down and all the sudden your confidence goes way up,'' Bland said. ``All you need is a few good shots.''

A new set of clubs doesn't hurt either.

Playing very poorly, Bland took last week off and went to England to watch the Volvo PGA.

While there, he saw Retief Goosen playing with a set of TaylorMade clubs, the same brand Bland uses.

Bland asked the company's representative for a set, keeping ``only his driver, putter and girlfriend.'' The clubs produced a first-round 67 and a 69 on Saturday in a round that started with birdies on three of the first four holes.

``I know how to win,'' Bland said. ``Even if I don't play well tomorrow it's nice to know I have been in the lead and around there, and it's starting to come back again.''

The last time Bland shared the lead after 36 holes was in 1999.

Colbert, 61, shot a 70. Barr, a 50-year-old looking to become the first Canadian winner on the senior tour, had a 71 that included a double bogey on the par-3 17th. Summerhays, a two-time tour winner who has not won since 1998, had a 68.

In the accompanying tournament for current and former NFL players, former Broncos quarterback John Elway shot a 76 to lead six players into the final round. Five-time champion Al Del Greco shot an 81, and missed qualifying by a shot

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