Armour takes control with 63, Alker ties course record

CALGARY — Ryan Armour birdied the 18th hole at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club on Saturday to climb atop the Rogers Charity Classic leaderboard. The 50-year-old from Akron, Ohio, carded a 7-under 63 to move to 12 under, one shot ahead of New Zealand's Steve Alker.

Armour's round included nine birdies but also a double bogey on the par-4, 15th hole, a setback that briefly dropped him to 5 under for the day. He responded with birdies on Nos. 17 and 18.

"I was kind of leaking oil with the driver coming in," Armour said. "I drove it in trouble on 15. I drove it in the fairway bunker on 17 and then drove it out of play on 18, but wedged it into play and hit a good 9 iron in there on 18 and made the putt. I've just got to go to the range and get that driver sorted out."

After shooting 65 on Friday, Armour started his second round with three straight birdies. "For the most part, up until the 15th hole, I was striping it," said the PGA Tour Champions rookie. "I hit it where I wanted at all times and it was going nice, but it's golf. It's 18 holes, it's 54 holes out here. Bad things are going to happen. You've got to adjust."

Alker's course record

Alker, coming off an opening 68, tied the course record with a 9-under 61. His round featured an eagle on the par-5 11th, eight birdies, and a single bogey. He had a chance to shoot 60 but left his eagle putt on the 18th short.

"Whenever you shoot the course record, you know you've had a good day," Alker said. "I had no idea on that putt on 18. I left it right in the jaws too, so it was a little disappointing."

His playing partner Zach Johnson made his eagle putt on 18 to shoot 62, moving into a tie for third at 10 under. "We were feeding off each other a little bit," Alker said. "I got a couple ahead of him there and he was kind of feeding off me a little bit, so it was a fun day."

Tight leaderboard

First-day leaders Richard Green and Rob Labritz are part of a nine-player tie at 10 under, alongside Johnson, Bo Van Pelt, J.J. Henry, Brian Gay, Michael Block, Michael Wright, and Miguel Angel Jimenez. Green, last year's champion, and Labritz matched scores for the second straight day with identical 67s.

Mike Weir remains the top Canadian at the PGA Tour Champions' only Canadian event. He's tied for 18th at 7 under after a 66 that included a 24-foot eagle putt on his final hole. Stephen Ames shot 67 to move to 3 under, and Wes Martin carded an even-par 70 to sit at 2 over.

Y.E. Yang is 12th at 9 under. Mark Wilson also tied the course record with a 61, posting five birdies on the front nine and five more with one bogey on the back nine.

Armour acknowledged the depth of the field. "Guys shot 61s and 62s today," he said. "People can come from four or five back and make a run at you."

What's next

The winner will be decided in Sunday's final round at Canyon Meadows, a par-70 layout measuring 7,086 yards. The tournament carries a $2.5 million purse.