Having scored 64 on the Donald Ross layout Tuesday to open the championship, today Simson found trouble off the tee. "I did not hit the ball quite as well, I got in a few fairway bunkers that caused me a few problems," said Simson.

Simson's game plan for Thursday's final round is simple, fairways and greens. "I have to hit good tee balls, get the ball on the green and make a few birdies, just put a lot of distance between me and the rest of the field." If Simson wins tomorrow, it will be his ninth North Carolina Senior Amateur title and 33rd overall CGA victory.

The only other competitors under par through 36 holes, Keith Waters of Raleigh and Macon Moye of Pinehurst, are Simson's closest competitors at 1-under 141.

Doug Owens of Albermarle started the day four-over-par, T-20. A clean scorecard containing four birdies jumped him 16 spots to fourth at 142. His 67 was an eight shot improvement from the first round. Starting on No. 10, Owens was three-under when an unconventional par save on the 18th kept his momentum. After hitting the ball roughly 40 yards off the tee, he responded by using a 6-iron to advance the ball, then a dialed-in 8-iron from 140 yards to help make an up-and-down par. "That made my round," said Owens. "Putting was all the difference in the world, I did not have any confidence in the one I had, so I changed putters and made some good up and downs."