LUMBERTON — As players finished their second rounds at the Robeson County Golf Championship, those posting overall scores around even par each acknowledged they had a chance at a good finish, but said they felt they’d be several strokes behind first-round leader Ryan Bass as they expected him to go deeper under par.

But the two-time defending champion shot a 1-over 73 Saturday, totaling 2-under 142 for the tournament, leaving a wide-open leaderboard in the Championship Division entering the final round.

Bass and Benton are tied for the lead, one ahead of John Haskins and Mike Chuchacz, with seven total players within four strokes of the lead.

“I certainly wish I could’ve played a lot better,” Bass said. “I had to fight; it was not pretty. I did not do anything good today. I’m not mad with my round; I just wish I’d played better. But I’m tied for the lead, so I’ll see what I can do tomorrow.”

Bass made a birdie on No. 2, but struggled through the middle of the front nine, with a double bogey at No. 5 followed by bogeys on the sixth and seventh. Bass birdied holes No. 8, 11 and 15 and bogeyed No. 10 and 16.

“I’ve just got to start hitting better shots,” Bass said. “I kind of struggled; I’m hit a draw, and I couldn’t get the ball to turn over. That really kind of led to my bad play, because I wasn’t trusting my other shots. I’ll come out here and hit some balls tomorrow and get loose and get my swing right.”

Benton followed up Friday’s even-par 72 with a 2-under 70 to pull even with Bass.

“I hit the ball a little better today,” Benton said. “I still fought it pretty good, couldn’t really get going, but it was a better day; I hit the ball a little better. I’m looking forward to tomorrow. I think I found something that I can hopefully play a little better tomorrow.”

After Benton bogeyed the first three holes on Friday, he parred the first three Saturday; the four-time tournament champion, who is seeking his first title since 1992, overcame bogeys on the ninth and 11th holes with four birdies to pull even with Bass, shooting 1-under 35 on each nine.

“(I hit) a lot more greens today, I got it up and down a little bit better, kept it in play a little bit better,” Benton said. “It was more solid, a little bit less stress than yesterday.”

Bass and Benton could provide an encore of their Sunday back-nine duel last year, in which Bass beat Benton by one stroke to earn his third tournament title.

“It’s fun. Being in the hunt and given the chance to play, that’s why we come out here, and just to make a swing count, get your blood pressure going up a little bit,” Benton said. “(Contending against Bass is) what I kind of expected, so I’m looking forward to it. He’s a good player.”

“That Sunday round, it’s fun,” Bass said. “It’s nervous, of course, but it’s fun. I enjoy it with anybody, but with Scott, last year we dueled and luckily I came out on top. It’s going to be fun, I’m looking forward to it.”

Bass and Benton will play with Mike Chuchacz in the final group Sunday, which tees off at 12:40 p.m.; Chuchacz shot a 1-under 35 on both nines Saturday in a 2-under 70 to get to 1 under overall.

“I struggled off the tee, but I actually putted the ball well today,” Chuchacz said. “I actually struck the ball well other than the tee ball. But I putted well, that’s what saved me today.”

Chuchacz made birdies on holes No. 3, 6 and 8 and bogeyed No. 4 and 7 on the front nine; he made back-to-back birdies on the 14th and 15th before a three-putt bogey at the 17th. He’ll now play with the two most-decorated players in the field in just his second tournament appearance.

“Just try to set goals, try to be 2 under on the front, 2 under on the back, try not to overextend myself, and try to handle the pressure because I’ve never been there,” Chuchacz said. “Pretty much just learn a few things from them, since they’re past winners. It’s going to be a learning experience for me.”

Haskins shot a 3-under 69, the best round of the day, to pull within a shot of the co-leaders.

After starting 3 under for the round through 11 holes, Haskins overcame three consecutive three-putts on the 12th, 13th and 14th, with a chip-in eagle at the 15th turning his round back in the right direction before a birdie on No. 17 got him under par overall.

“I kind of turned it around,” Haskins said. “I kind of thought if I could just get it back up and down, I could get to 1 over on that side and stay under par (for the round) would be good, and luckily it went in the hole.”

Steve Pippin shot a 1-under 71, which included a 2-under 34 on the front nine, and is even par overall in fifth place. Mack Kenney is sixth at 1 over and Jamie Locklear is seventh at 2 over after both shot an even-par 72 on Saturday.

Jeff Wishart improved by eight strokes from Friday to Saturday, following up a 78 with a 2-under 70. He and Chad Martin are tied for eighth with a 4-over total.