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Sports

Langer moves ahead by 3 in Texas

By Sports Network
Published | Updated

The Woodlands, TX (SportsNetwork.com) - Bernhard Langer carded a 4-under 68 on Saturday to claim a 3-stroke lead at the Insperity Invitational.

Langer, who has earned two of his 19 Champions Tour wins at this event, finished 36 holes on the Tournament Course at The Woodlands Country Club at 10-under-par 134.

"I played really solid from tee to green; all the way through actually," said Langer. "It was tricky with the wind early on."

Colin Montgomerie fired a 6-under 66 to move into second place at 7-under 137, while first-round co-leader Bart Bryant managed an even-par 72 to fall into a share of third with defending champion Esteban Toledo (71) and Gary Hallberg (67) at 6-under.

Fred Couples (70), Mark O'Meara (70), Steve Pate (70) and Fred Funk (71) are tied for sixth at minus-5.

Langer and Toledo entered Saturday sharing the lead at 6-under, but the tie did not last long as Langer opened his round with birdies at the first and third to move to 8-under and claim a 2-stroke lead.

After Langer and Toledo both birdied the sixth to maintain their 2-stroke difference, Toledo fell well off the pace with consecutive bogeys at the eighth and ninth.

Bryant, meanwhile, countered a bogey at the third with birdies at the sixth, eighth and ninth to move to 8-under and within a shot of the lead.

Bryant stayed hot with a birdie at the 11th to meet Langer at minus-9. and was handed the outright lead when Langer tripped to a bogey at the 12th.

But Langer bounced right back with a birdie at the 13th before he was given sole possession of first place when Bryant bogeyed the 14th.

Langer stretched his lead to two with a birdie at the 15th, and his lead stretch to three when Bryant posted a double-bogey 6 at the 17th, leaving Montgomerie in second place at 7-under.

Montgomerie had earlier countered a pair of bogeys with an eagle and six birdies during his round to finish at minus-7.

Langer parred his final three holes to end at 10-under.

"It's not over but I like this golf course," Langer said. "I still need to play aggressive because there's a bunch of guys not too far behind bunched up and the wind's going to blow again. It's going to be hot, so you know, I can't go and shoot over par."

NOTES: Peter Jacobsen, Ben Crenshaw, Nick Price and Craig Stadler all withdrew during the second round ... Langer is holding the second-round lead for the 21st time in his Champions Tour career. He has converted 12 of those leads into victories ... Langer is trying to become the first three-time winner of this event.