Boca Raton, Fla. – Bernhard Langer carded a two-shot 9-under 63 on Saturday, giving him a one-shot lead over Paul Goydos at the Timberlake Championship and a chance to move closer to the PGA Tour’s record for majors. Career wins.
Langer opened with three straight birdies, one bogey and another, and holed a boundary shot on the par-3 fifth at Royal Palms Boat and Country Club.
It was clear early on that this was going to be a special day.
“I was thinking, ‘OK, this could be another day of shooting your age,'” Langer said. “But it’s still early days and there’s a lot of golf left. But he kept going. And then at 17 I thought, ‘Heck, you’re 8 under, let’s see if you can get one or two more.’
He had one more birdie to finish at 11-under 133.
Goidos stuck with Langer’s 65, making an eagle on the par-4 16th and closing with a birdie on the par-5 18th for a 66.
It was the sixth time in his career that Langer, a two-time Masters champion, has beaten his age or lower at the PGA Tour Championship and the fourth time this season.
The main thing is to win, and Langer is in pole position. Sunday’s victory would be his 44th on the PGA Tour Championship. Hale Irwin holds the record with 45 major titles.
Langer, who won his sixth Charles Schwab Trophy last year, earned his 43rd career win at the Chubb Classic earlier this season.
Still at No. 7 in the standings, Schwab is a long shot to win another title.
New Zealand’s Steven Alker leads the points race by a wide margin and could clinch the $1 million prize this week. He shot a 68 and was five shots back entering the final day.
The top 36 players advance to next week’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship in Phoenix.
