Tom Lehman took the lead in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship and moved closer to becoming the first golfer to win the season points title for two straight years.
Lehman birdied the final hole for an eight-under-par 62 and a one-stroke lead over Fred Couples on Saturday in the Champions Tour’s season-ending event. Couples also shot a 62, making two eagles in his round.
“I really like the pairing,” Lehman said. “Hopefully, he plays his best and, hopefully, I play my best and we’ll see what happens.”
Lehman shot his lowest Champions round for the second straight day. At 63-62 and 15-under, he was a stroke off the tour record set by Bruce Fleisher in 2002.
“I played really well the last two days, probably as well as I’ve played in six months,” said Lehman. “I hit the ball very solidly both days. I gave myself a lot of chances for birdie. I’ve made my share, obviously. I think the big thing though is the saves. I’ve made a couple of really amazing key saves over the last couple of days.”
Couples is playing for the first time since a back injury forced him in late August.
“If I can play like this every two months, I think I might finish my career playing four times a year and just say ‘the heck with it’,” Couples joked.
Lehman was 17-under after three days on Desert Mountain’s Cochise Course. He entered the week second behind Bernhard Langer in the Charles Schwab Cup competition for a $US1 million ($A966,000) annuity.
Langer, tied for 10th at six-under after a 70, was a projected 529 points behind Lehman after starting play on Thursday with a 211-point lead. The tournament winner will get 880 points, with players receiving a point for every $500 they earn in the $US2.5 million ($A2.4 million) event.
Langer eagled the par-five 18th hole to get a little closer to Lehman, who would win the title with a tournament victory no matter where Langer finishes.
“I was certainly not happy with my day today,” Langer said. “My mindset has to be aggressive tomorrow.”
Jay Haas, five strokes ahead of Lehman at the start of the round after matching the tour-record on Friday with a 60, had a 69 to drop two strokes back.
