Montgomerie Leads Senior PGA Championship


Scotland's Colin Montgomerie posted a 3-under 68 to take the lead in the Senior PGA Championship. The $2 million event, the second straight Champions Tour major following the Regions Tradition last week, is taking place at the Golf Club at Benton Harbor in Benton Harbor, Mich.

The 51-year-old Montgomerie carded five birdies and two bogeys Saturday to reach 7-nder 206, a stroke ahead of Bernhard Langer of Germany. Montgomerie's final birdie came when he sank a 30-foot putt on the 18th hole to give him the 54-hole lead heading into Sunday.

The 56-year-old Langer, a two-time winner on the Champions Tour this year and leader of the season-long Charles Schwab Cup points' race, had a 69.

Montgomerie is not only trying to win the first major of his Hall of Fame career, but he's seeking his first official title on American soil and first on the Champions Tour. He won the 1998 Anderson Consulting World Championship and the 2000 Skins Game.

Two strokes behind are Japan's Murota Kiyoshi (70) and Americans Marco Dawson (64) and Bart Bryant (70. Dawson's 7-under score, which included nine birdies and two bogeys, was Saturday's low round.

Four back of Montgomerie are Americans Gary Hallberg (70), Tom Watson (72), Jay Haas (70) and John Cook (68), along with South Africa's David Frost (69).

Sharing 11th at 1-under 211 are Russ Cochran (72), Steve Pate (72), Stephen Ames (72), Kenny Perry (66) and Jim Carter (68). Perry is coming off a victory in the Regions Tradition.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pga.com/seniorpga/scoring/leaderboard.