PHOENIX — Jeff Maggert shot a 6-under 65 on Friday to increase his lead to four strokes in the Charles Schwab Cup Championship, with Bernhard Langer second in a bid for his record sixth PGA Tour Champions season points title.
Maggert birdied three of the first four holes in a front-nine 31 and capped the bogey-free round with a birdie on the par-4 17th in perfect conditions at Phoenix Country Club. He had a 14-under 128 total.
The 55-year-old Texan entered the season-ending event 34th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings, just three spots from failing to qualify. He won three times on the PGA Tour and has five senior victories, one in 2014 and four in 2015.
Langer closed with a double bogey after hitting his approach into the water on the par-5 18th. Coming off a playoff loss to Colin Montgomerie on Sunday in California, Langer is third in the standings behind Scott McCarron and Jerry Kelly.
To take the season title, the 62-year-old German star needs to win the event and have McCarron finish in a two-way tie for fifth or worse and Kelly finish in a two-way tie for second or worse. McCarron (71) and Kelly (74) were tied for 25th at 2 under.
Retief Goosen, fifth in the standings, had his second straight 67 to join Brandt Jobe (66) and Marco Dawson (67) at 8 under.
Miguel Angel Jimenez (70) was another stroke back with Joe Durant (66), Wes Short Jr. (67) and Steve Flesch (70).