PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Colin Montgomerie settled for a one-stroke lead in the Champions Tour’s First Tee Open after bogeying the final hole Saturday at Pebble Beach.
The 52-year-old Scot finished with a 5-under 67, missing a 6-foot par putt on the par-5 18th to fall to 8-under 135. He opened with a 68 on Friday at par-71 Poppy Hills.
Second behind Jeff Maggert in the Charles Schwab Cup points race, Montgomerie is coming off a victory two weeks ago in England in a European Senior Tour event. All three of his Champions Tour victories have come in majors, the last a successful title defense in the Senior PGA Championship in May.
Olin Browne has second after a 65 at Poppy Hills.
Mexico’s Esteban Toledo was third at 6 under after a 66 at Pebble Beach.
Fred Couples birdied the 18th at Pebble Beach for a 66 to join Woody Austin at 5 under. Austin had a 70 at Pebble Beach, the site of the final round.
Tom Watson was 3 under after a 65 at Pebble Beach. The 66-year-old Watson birdied the first four holes and six of the first seven. He added birdies on 14 and 15, but dropped a stroke on 16. Watson won the 1982 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach and took the PGA Tour’s Bing Crosby event at the course in 1977 and 1978.
First-round leaders Tom Byrum and Sweden’s Jesper Parnevik struggled. Byrum had a 73 at Poppy Hills to fall into a tie for ninth at 3 under, and Parnevik was tied for 15th at 2 under after a 75 at Pebble Beach.
Maggert was even par after a 69 at Pebble Beach. He leads the tour with four victories, winning three of his last six starts.
Davis Love III was 2 over after a 70 at Pebble Beach. He won the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship last month to become the third-oldest champion in tour history at 51 years, 4 months, 10 days.
Calgary’s Stephen Ames sits T6 at 4-under while fellow Canadian Rod Spittle finished 1-under on the day to reach T21 at even-par.