Saucier, MI (SportsNetwork.com) - Kevin Sutherland carded a 5-under 67 in the second round Saturday and moved two strokes clear of the field at the Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic.
Sutherland, who was one of five different players that had at least a piece of the lead during the second round, finished 36 holes at 9-under-par 135. He will go for his first Champions Tour win on Sunday at Fallen Oak Golf Club.
Tom Lehman shot 6-under 66 to move into second place at minus-7. David Frost (70) and Tom Pernice, Jr. (69) are tied for third at 6-under-par 138.
Scott Dunlap fired a 7-under 65 for the low round of the week. He soared into a share of fifth place at 5-under-par 139. He was joined there by first-round co-leaders Colin Montgomerie and Joe Durant, who both shot 72, as well as Woody Austin (71) and Olin Browne (68).
Sutherland started the day one stroke off the lead and opened with three pars in a row. He got on the board with back-to-back birdies at four and five.
The 50-year-old followed with a bogey at the sixth. He quickly atoned for that mistake with a birdie on the par-4 seventh.
Sutherland ran off four consecutive pars from the eighth to remain one back. He converted a birdie chance on the 12th to join Montgomerie atop the leaderboard at minus-7.
After a pair of pars, Sutherland's birdie at the 15th gave him a 1-shot lead. He made it two in a row with a birdie 16. Sutherland closed his round with a pair of pars.
"This is very different, it's a different mentality," Sutherland said of following his 59 last year at the Dick's Sporting Goods Open. "When I shot the 59, it was like I had won something already.
"It was hard to come out the next day and be focused. I wasn't as focused as I needed to be, definitely not as focused as I need to be tomorrow. I don't think that's going to be a problem tomorrow, but whether I play well is another subject."
Lehman had three birdies on the front nine en route to making the turn at minus-4. He birdied the 10th, then ran off four straight pars. Lehman poured in consecutive birdie chances at 15 and 16 to join Sutherland and Montgomerie in the lead. Lehman closed with a pair of pars.
"I don't think I really have an advantage. There are quite a few guys within a few of the lead," said Lehman when asked if he will have an advantage in the final round since he won this event in 2011. "Anyone within five or six shots has a chance to win with a good round."
Montgomerie had three birdies in the first seven holes to move to 8-under. He was two strokes clear of Sutherland at that point, but didn't make another birdie. Montgomerie dropped shots at 10 and 13, then also bogeyed the last to fall four off the lead.
Durant had two birdies and two bogeys in his round to remain at minus-5.
NOTES: Sutherland had the second-round lead for the second time on the Champions Tour ... He is trying to become the second straight, and fifth player in the last six years, to earn his first tour win at this event ... Lehman won for the eighth time on the Champions Tour last year ... Hale Irwin and John Riegger both withdrew before their rounds.
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