Advertisement

Langer keeps his cushion, leads after two rounds at Toshiba Classic

Share

Kenny Perry described Bernhard Langer as the type of golfer who gets under his skin because the 56-year-old German works so hard.

Langer is the type who pushes others to be great, Perry said.

Langer would rather just continue to push his way past the field at the 20th Toshiba Classic. He maintained his two-shot lead Saturday at Newport Beach Country Club, compensating for two bogeys with a stretch of four birdies out of five holes on the back nine to shoot five-under-par 66 in the second round.

He’s at 13-under 129, two ahead of Perry and Chien Soon Lu, who both made eagle putts on No. 18 to finish near Langer heading into Sunday’s final round.

Advertisement

Fred Couples, Scott Dunlap, Esteban Toledo and Jeff Hart are tied for fourth at 10-under.

“He’s the consummate pro,” Perry said of Langer. “He’s always prepared. He’s a grinder. He’s in the lead or near the lead in just about every event.”

Langer has been on fire on the Champions Tour. He’s finished in the top 10 in his last 13 events. The two-time Masters champion, who won the Toshiba Classic in 2008, captured the season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.

Langer, last year’s Champions Tour money-list leader and the top player in the season-long Charles Schwab Cup race, recorded his 13th straight sub-par round, and has shot below par in 20 of his last 21 rounds.

He displayed his brilliance in the first round, which he called “kind of flawless,” when he shot eight-under.

His second round wasn’t as great, but it was enough to keep him at his two-shot lead that he held after the first round.

“I made two bogeys, which was disappointing,” said Langer of Nos. 2 and 6.”The three-putt on [No. 18] didn’t help either. There was a lot of good in there but just a couple of bogeys that hurt.”

Langer birdied Nos. 13, 14, 15 and 17 to help him in his bid to grab his 20th career win on the Champions Tour. He’s also trying to become only the second to win the Toshiba twice, as Hale Irwin won in 1998 and 2002.

Tom Watson, the eight-time major champion and the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, rolled in a 30-foot putt for eagle on his final hole, No. 9, to shoot an eight-under 63, which tied for the best round of the day with Peter Senior.

It was the first time the 64-year-old Watson shot better than his age. Watson, who is at eight-under and tied for 12th, played with Mark O’Meara and Rocco Mediate, as the group attracted a large crowd.

D.A. Weibring made a hole-in-one on No. 17 with a six iron from 179 yards. It was the fourth hole-in-one in tournament history and Weibring’s third on the Champions Tour.

Advertisement