Thorpe holds on to 3 shot lead

Jim Thorpe bogeyed the final hole on Saturday, yet maintained his three-stroke lead over Tom Jenkins through three rounds of the Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Thorpe's round of 2-under-par 70 was enough to hold off Jenkins, who was within two strokes of the lead after 11 holes. Thorpe birdied the next two holes to extend his lead in the Champions Tour's final event of the season.

Thorpe is at 16-under 200. Jenkins, who also had a 70, is at 13-under 203.

Tom Watson remained four strokes back, at 12-under 204, after matching Jenkins and Thorpe's 70 at Sonoma Golf Club.

"Everything is exactly the same as when we started the round," said Watson. "We all made mistakes and piddled around."

Tom Kite (69), Graham Marsh (69) and Hale Irwin drew within six strokes of the lead. Irwin's 6-under 66 was the lowest score of the day.

"When you get closer and closer to the end, funny things happen," Jenkins said. "If you're within three or four strokes going into the last nine holes, you have a good shot at it."

If Thorpe holds on, he could edge Watson for the senior money title. Thorpe, currently fifth in earnings, has played 30 events this season -- more than twice as many as Watson, who leads with nearly $1.6 million.

"Winning the money title would be great," said Thorpe. "It's something I've never done before and I've never worked as hard on my game as I have the past four or five years. I realize this is my last go-around."

Thorpe made four birdies, but also made bogeys on Nos. 11 and 18.

"Today was a round I needed to get out of the way," he said. "I had a few more butterflies today and I feel like I didn't attack the course."

Thorpe's tee shot on 18 sailed into a tree, but settled in a good lie.

"It wasn't the worst bogey in the world," Thorpe said. "It could have been a big number there. I basically tried to hit over the tree."

In the Georgia-Pacific Grand Champions competition for players over 60, Isao Aoki shot a 3-under 69 to take the 54-hole event, claiming the first-place prize of $86,000.

Aoki finished at 8-under 208, beating Raymond Floyd and Tom Wargo by six strokes

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