CHAMPIONS

• Price looking for first Champions win

  
  

  West Des Moines, IA (Sports Network) - Nick Price, a three-time major winner and World Golf Hall of Famer, fired a five-under 66 on Saturday to take the second-round lead of The Principal Charity Classic.

  Price finished 36 holes at six-under 136 and is one ahead of six other players at Glen Oaks Country Club.

  Overnight co-leader Lonnie Nielsen (71), Bobby Wadkins (67), Andy Bean (68), David Eger (68), Mark McNulty (70) and Kirk Hanefeld (70) share second at minus-five.

  Price flew out of the gate on Saturday. He knocked a sand-wedge to 12 feet to set up birdie at the first and made it back-to-back birdies when his great six-iron tee ball left him with only 15 feet at the second.

  Price hit an eight-iron to eight feet at the third and it was a third consecutive birdie.

  Things fell apart a bit for Price at the par-three fifth. His five-iron tee shot landed in a greenside bunker and he could not save par.

  "Got off to a really good start, but then made bogey at No. 5, which slowed things," admitted Price.

  Price closed his front nine with a five-foot birdie putt at the par-five ninth.

  He appeared to be in trouble at the 10th. Price had over 20 feet to save par and holed the tricky putt. The Hall of Famer gained some momentum from the par save one hole later. Price tapped in a short birdie putt at the par-five 12th and was near the top of the leaderboard at minus-five.

  Price parred his next five holes, then hit a six-iron to 17 feet at the 17th. He converted the birdie putt to get into the lead and parred the last.

  Price has not won since joining the Champions Tour last year. His best finish was a tie for second at this year's FedEx Kinko's Classic, but he won't forget the feeling of being in contention.

  "My game wasn't in good shape when I came out here," admitted Price. "I look forward to tomorrow. On the back, if I get in the hunt, I'll feel the same apprehensions as before." Defending champion Jay Haas, who won an incredibly difficult Senior PGA Championship last week, gave himself a shot for a repeat at this event. He posted a three-under 68 and is tied for eighth with Mark O'Meara (66), Mike Hulbert (69), Tom Purtzer (71) and Joey Sindelar (71). The group finished at four-under 138.

  R.W.

  Eaks, who shared the first-round lead with Nielsen, struggled to a four- over 75 and fell back into a tie for 29th at minus-one.

  05/31 18:44:16 ET