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Langer zips past Price with 63, takes one-shot lead at Boeing Classic

By Associated Press
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Langer zips past Price with 63, takes one-shot lead at Boeing Classic

Bernhard Langer fired a 9-under 63 to take a one-shot lead over Nick Price after the second round of the Champions Tour's Boeing Classic on Saturday. Price struggled to make birdies on the back nine, allowing Langer to overtake the opening-round leader. Langer made a 12-foot birdie on the 12th hole to pull within a shot of Price and move to 6 under on the round. With Price making pars, Langer continued his run to the top of the leaderboard. Birdies at Nos. 14 and 15 gave him the outright lead and a birdie at 18 moved him to 15-under 129 for the tournament. Price (67) made four birdies on the front nine. He recorded his only bogey of the day at 17, but closed with an eagle at the par-5 18th to pull within a shot of Langer. Hometown favorite Fred Couples had just come off consecutive birdies at Nos. 13 and 14 that moved him into a tie with Tom Pernice Jr. for third at 8-under par. But Couples bogeyed the par-5 15th hole for the second consecutive day after going in the hazard that lines the left side of the hole off the tee. Then he came unglued at 16, finding the sand trap in front of the green with his second shot. His first two attempts failed to clear the 8-foot lip and rolled back to his feet. He finally got out on the third attempt and made double bogey. Another bogey at 17 added to Couples' problems and he finished with a 72 to put him at 4 under for 36 holes. Pernice was three shots off the lead before consecutive bogeys at Nos. 11 and 12 dropped him back to 8 under par. Pernice bounced back with birdies at 15 and 16 to finish at 10 under. Keith Fergus and Hal Sutton are tied for fourth at 6 under par.