Sainte-Julie, Quebec • Bernhard Langer shot a 5-under 67 in windy and rainy conditions Saturday to open a three-stroke lead in the Champions Tour's Montreal Championship.
Langer had five birdies in a bogey-free second round to reach 6 under on La Vallee du Richelieu's Rouville Course. The two-time Masters champion has two victories this year and 18 overall on the 50-and-over tour.
"I hit a lot of fairways, which helps me control my distance with my irons," said Langer, from Germany. "It's a lot easier from the fairway than from the rough. I putted pretty nicely, too. I had a lot of speed on my putts, gave myself a lot of chances with the putts. I was a bit unlucky on some occasions but overall I was very pleased."
Kenny Perry, the Senior Players Championship and U.S. Senior Open winner in consecutive tour starts this summer, was 3 under along with Willie Wood, Chien Soon Lu, Bill Glasson and Anders Forsbrand. Perry had a 71.
"I made 10 pars starting from 10 through 18 so I really never could get anything going," Perry said. "It was pretty blustery out there, tough conditions. Bernhard played a beautiful round of golf to shoot a 67. I couldn't make it happen today, but I'm still in the golf tournament. ... If he (Langer) shoots even par and I shoot 4 under I'll win the golf tournament. So he needs to play a good round of golf and I need to play a great round of golf."
Wood and Lu shot 68, and Glasson and Forsbrand shot 69.
Rocco Mediate, coming off a blowout victory Sunday in Calgary, Alberta, followed his opening 75 with a 68 to get to 1 under. Last week, he shot 63-64-64 for a seven-stroke victory.
Mark Calcavecchia, the winner last year on the adjacent Vercheres layout, was 2 over after a 72. He missed the tour's previous two events because of back problems.