Langer secures two-stroke lead

Bernhard Langer of Germany shot a 2-under-par 68 Thursday and leads the U.S. Senior Open after two rounds at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.
Bernhard Langer of Germany shot a 2-under-par 68 Thursday and leads the U.S. Senior Open after two rounds at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

— Bernhard Langer waited much of Friday morning for the soupy fog on the Sammamish Plateau to finally lift. He spent the evening waiting for someone to make a charge up the leaderboard.

In between, Langer put himself in position for a second consecutive major championship.

Langer overcame a shaky front nine with an eagle and birdie on the inward half to take the lead at 3 under par in the second round of the U.S. Senior Open as many of the other contenders simply tried to stay close entering the weekend.

After a fog delay of more than two hours brought play to a halt just before 8 a.m. Pacific, Langer shot a 2-underpar 68, making a number ofkey putts on the back nine when his round easily could have slipped away.

“You never quite know. It’s the type of golf course that any hole can get to you,” said Langer, coming off a victory last week in the Senior British Open at Carnoustie. “You just got to be careful and hit good shots.”

Langer was careful, not to mention a little fortunate with the putter Friday. He’s the only player with two rounds in the 60s on the par-70 layout at Sahalee Country Club, and will take a two-shot lead into the third round.

If successful this week, Langer would be the first player on the Champions Tour to win consecutive majors since Tom Watson in 2003 in the Senior British Open and Tradition.

But Watson didn’t win those titles in back-to-back weeks with eight time zones in between.

“This is a big enough event to pick yourself up and get motivated and get moving,” Langer said. “I don’t have a lot of problems with that.”

While Langer managed to tame the ball-hawking tree limbs of Sahalee, others were far less successful. Only four players finished the second round under par, with another four sitting at even. Firstround leader Bruce Vaughan gave back all of his 66 from Thursday before he made the turn.

Little known J.R. Roth had a 66, the best round of the day. He curled in a 25-foot putt on the 18th to finish at 1 under for the tournament. John Cook (68) and Tommy Armour III (68) also were 1 under.

“I think the way USGA sets up the golf course it really is good for me, because I’m just one of those guys that grinds it out,” said Roth, playing in his first USGA event in 35 years.

Hometown favorite Fred Couples and Watson led the group at even par. Constantly trying to stretch out his always stiff back, Couples sent a wave of roars echoing between the cedars and firs of Sahalee when he dropped in a tricky 35-foot bender on the par-3 ninth that got Couples back to 1 under. A pair of bogeys early in his back nine pushed Couples to 1 over, but a birdie at No. 16 and pars on the last two holes left Couples right where he started.

“I didn’t realize last year that they shot so many under, wherever they played,” Couples said about Fred Funk’s winning score of 20 under last year at Crooked Stick. “But I think that kind of killed ushere because there may not be anyone under par when the tournament is over; it’s that hard.”

After a bogey at No. 1 and birdie at No. 2, Watson made14 consecutive pars before a bogey at the 17th when his tee shot imbedded in the bank near the water hazard in front of the green. Watson took a drop, but chunked his chip and made bogey.

He rebounded with a birdie on the uphill par-4 18th, the second-toughest hole on the course.

Scott Simpson and Tom Kite were 1 over, four shots back.

They’re all still chasing Langer.

He was 1 over on the front nine after missing a short par putt on the ninth, then jumpstarted his round with an eagle on the long par 5 11th hole, sinking a 40-foot putt for the first eagle on the hole this week. Langer made long par-saving putts on Nos. 12 and 15, then birdied the par-3 17th, knocking a 6 iron to 6 feet. Langer delicately two-putted on the 18th to finish his round.

Sports, Pages 19 on 07/31/2010

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