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Tom Watson has share of Senior PGA lead

By WTOP Staff

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. (AP) — Colin Montgomerie knows two of the players to watch in a senior major are Bernhard Langer and Tom Watson, so playing alongside them in the first two rounds of the Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores worked out well.

Watson shot a 3-under 68 on Friday for a share of the lead with fellow Hall of Famers Langer and Montgomerie and three other players.

“Tom had a great finish last week in the Regions Tradition major and Langer is always there, so I felt that if I was equal or around them after two days, I would be quite happy,” Montgomerie said. “I was and I am and it gives me an opportunity to go forward at the weekend.”

The 64-year-old Watson had five birdies and a double bogey — on the par-4 12th — to reach 4-under 138 after two rounds at Harbor Shores.

“When I don’t do well I get angry with myself still,” he said. “Like (Lee) Trevino said, ‘When I stop getting angry with myself, then I know it’s time to quit.’ And I haven’t reached that point yet. I get frustrated at times, but I still have some fire.”

Langer also had a 68, and Montgomerie shot 69 to join Watson, Bart Bryant, Steen Tinning and Kiyoshi Murota atop the leaderboard. Bryant shot 67, Tinning 66, and Murota 65.

The six-way tie for the lead is the most on the Champions Tour after 36 holes since an eight-way tie in the 2006 Senior Players Championship in Dearborn, Michigan.

Montgomerie talked more about Watson than himself afterward.

“He’s hitting the ball great,” Montgomerie said. “Sixty-four years old. It’s amazing how he still is very competitive and extremely competitive. Seeing him at very close quarters, believe me he is extremely competitive and it’s great to see.”

Murota, from Japan, had the best round of the day, chipping in for eagles on the par-5 fifth and ninth.

Bryant bogeyed the 18th hole to drop into the tie for the lead.

Tinning, from Denmark, birdied No. 17 in his bogey-free round.

Steve Pate (67) was a stroke back along with Stephen Ames (68), Russ Cochran (69), Mark Brooks (71) and Dan Forsman (73). The group at 2 under included first-round leader Joe Durant (75), Jay Haas (71), Scott Simpson (69) and Duffy Waldorf (70).

Watson, Langer and Montgomerie created buzz early in the day with their names atop the leaderboard.

Watson had a 3-under 33 on the front nine, but double-bogeyed the 12th with a stubbed chip and three putts. Trying to win for the first time since the 2011 Senior PGA, he’s coming off a sixth-place tie last week in the Regions Tradition in Alabama.

“I hit the ball pretty well last week and finished with a good round on Sunday, and it’s kind of carrying on right now,” he said. “So we’ll see what happens the next two days.”

Langer, a two-time winner this season and the leading money winner on the Champions Tour five of the last six years, birdied the first two holes.

“On this golf course you never know what’s going to happen,” Langer said. “There are some low scores out there, but there are also some high numbers. So it was good to get in the red numbers right away and I felt good about my game starting off.”

Montgomerie, playing in his first Senior PGA and seeking his first Champions Tour victory, took advantage of a friendly forward tee position and made an eagle on the par-5 15th. He hit his 8-iron approach from 173 yards to 10 feet.

“Amazing, fantastic,” Montgomerie said. “I haven’t putted well, to be honest, over the first two days. I missed a number of makeable putts that haven’t started on line, which has been disappointing.”

Roger Chapman, the runaway winner in 2012 at Harbor Shores, was 1 over after rounds of 71 and 72.

Kenny Perry, the Regions Tradition winner last week, followed his opening 70 with a 75.

Kohki Idoki, the winner last year at Bellerive in St. Louis, birdied the last two holes for a 70 to make the 36-hole cut on the number.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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