Scottsdale, AZ (SportsNetwork.com) - Tom Pernice, Jr. opened up with a 5-under 65 in Thursday's first round and he holds a 1-shot lead at the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.
Pernice has won three times on the Champions Tour, including once this season at the Principal Charity Classic.
Bernhard Langer, who has already secured the season-long Charles Schwab Cup after a sixth-place finish at last week's AT&T Championship, is tied for second with three others at 4-under 66. He is joined there by Joe Durant, Jay Haas and Kenny Perry after the first round on the Conchise Course at the Desert Mountain Club.
Billy Andrade, Olin Browne, Russ Cochran and Gene Sauers are all tied for sixth after 2-under 68s. Colin Montgomerie, who is second in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, finished at 1-over 71 along with defending champion Fred Couples.
Pernice, who started this week at No. 9 in the standings, came out of the gate strong with a par on No. 1 and a birdie on No. 2. Things slowed down from there for Pernice, however, as he made seven straight pars from No. 3 to close out his front nine at minus-1.
The back nine is where the 55-year-old Pernice got it going has he poured in back-to-back gains on 10 and 11. Following two straight pars, Pernice made another pair of birdies on 14 and 15, putting him in the lead at minus-5.
After a par on 16, Pernice dropped his first and only shot of the day on No. 17, but he responded quickly with a birdie on the par-5 last to get into the clubhouse with the lead.
"I drove the ball in play pretty much most of the day. A couple balls just in the rough, but I set up a lot of opportunities," Pernice said. "I drove the ball straight today, kept it in play. I think that's important. If you do that here, you're going to have some good opportunities."
Langer, who held a share of the lead a couple times on Thursday, had a strong front nine but did not finish quite as well. Langer started off with a birdie at the first and then rattled off four straight pars before finishing off the front nine with three birdies in a four-hole stretch from No. 6.
It was a quieter back side for Langer as he tripped to a bogey on No. 11 and birdied No. 15 to get back to minus-4. He closed his round with three straight pars to end there.
"I got off to a really good start, made some putts on the front nine and played pretty solid," Langer said. "Then the back side, the putter got cold, especially the last five holes or so. I had five really good chances, didn't make one of them, so that was disappointing the way I hit really good shots and gave myself opportunities and just couldn't convert."
Durant made six straight pars from one to begin his day before draining a birdie on seven and an eagle on eight, quickly getting him to minus-3. Durant gave one of those shots back with a bogey on nine and he fell back to minus-1 after another bogey on 12.
It was smooth sailing from there for Durant as he made birdies on 13, 15 and 17, vaulting him into a share of second place.
Haas made the turn at even par after making a birdie on one and a bogey on four. The back nine was clean for Haas as he made birdies on 10, 14, 16 and 18, tying him for second at minus-4 as well.
Perry, this year's Regions Tradition champion, made a pair of birdies on three and four, but he gave one of those back with a bogey on five. Another gain on eight had Perry back to minus-2 and that improved to 3-under with a birdie on 10.
A bogey on 13 dropped Perry back to 2-under, but a strong finish got Perry into a tie for second. Following a trio of pars from 14, Perry made back-to- back birdies on 17 and 18 to finish at 4-under.
NOTES: Pernice also has victories at the 2009 SAS Championship and the 2013 3M Championship ... Langer, who has also wrapped up the money title, is looking to become the highest single-season earner ever on tour ... Of the four players tied for second, Durant is the only one who has not won on tour yet this season.