Tom Watson, defying his age again, posted a 3-under-par 68 to tie for the lead with five others halfway through the 75th Senior PGA Championship at the Golf Club at Harbor Shores in Benton Harbor, Mich.
The 64-year-old Watson, who nearly won the 2009 Open Championship at Turnberry at the age of 59 before losing in a playoff to Stewart Cink, sprinkled five birdies across his scorecard and stumbled only when he made a double-bogey 6 on the 12th hole.
“When I don’t do well, I get angry with myself still,” said Watson, the Stanford grad who has won 71 times as a pro, including eight majors on the PGA Tour and five on the Champions Tour.
“Like (Lee) Trevino said, ‘When I stop getting angry with myself, then I know it’s time to quit.’ And I haven’t reached that point yet. I get frustrated at times, but I still have some fire.”
Two-time Masters champion Bernhard Langer of Germany, who also has won two majors on the Champions Tour, shot 68 and also was tied for the lead along with Colin Montgomerie of Scotland, who had a 69, Bart Bryant, who carded a 67, Steen Tinning of Denmark, who totaled 66, and Kiyoshi Murota of Japan, whose 65 was low round of the day.
Steve Pate of Ventura and UCLA recorded a 67 and was one stroke back in a tie for seventh with Mark Brooks, who had a 71, Stephen Ames of Canada, who wound up at 68, Russ Cochran, who finished at 69, and Dan Forsman, who struggled to a 73.
Duffy Waldorf of Northridge and UCLA posted a second straight 70 and was another shot behind in a tie for 12th with Jay Haas, who had a 71, Scott Simpson of San Diego and USC, who finished at 69, Greg Bruckner, who totaled 71, Gary Hallberg, who carded a second 70, and first-round leader Joe Durant, who followed a 65 with a 75.
