CHAMPIONS TOUR Fernandez grabs two-stroke lead

He shot a 67 at the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am.
PARKVILLE, Mo. (AP) -- Rebounding from a missed 10-inch putt, Argentina's Vicente Fernandez shot a 5-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead in the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am.
Bidding to become the first two-time winner on the Champions Tour this year, Fernandez eagled the par-5 fifth hole but lipped out a tap-in par putt about an hour later. He wound up with a two-day total of 6-under 138 on the 6,955-yard National layout.
On the short par-4 13th, dueling four others for the lead, he slid a 12-foot birdie putt about 10 inches past the cup. Then, trying to avoid stepping in the line of his playing partner's putt, he bent over awkwardly and missed coming back.
"I didn't pay attention," he said. "It was a tap-in and I missed it. But I made 2-under par from there on."
A five-time Champions Tour winner, Fernandez has never before held the lead all by himself after 36 holes. He's also never won in the four times he's been the co-leader after 36.
"There are just so many good players out here," he said. "It will take another good round tomorrow."
Wind and rain
The cold wind and steady rain that pelted the Tom Watson-designed course in Friday's opening round was replaced by calm, clear conditions as seven players shot 68 or better.
Two strokes back at four-under 140 were Jay Sigel and Allen Doyle, who each had 68, and Des Smyth and Mike McCullough, who matched Fernandez's 67.
Watson, a lifelong Kansas Citian and clear crowd favorite, missed a half-dozen medium-range birdie putts and settled for a 71 that left him five strokes in back of Fernandez, the winner of the ACE Group Classic in February.
"I played very well from tee to green. But what a miserable putting day," Watson said. "Yes, it's disappointing not to play better in front of your home town fans and friends. But who knows what will happen tomorrow? It's not impossible."
Three strokes off the pace at 141 were James Mason and Butch Sheehan. Hale Irwin, the tour's top money winner who won last week in Austin, Texas, shot a 68 and was four strokes off the lead at 142, tied with Dave Stockton and Tom Jenkins.
Jose Maria Canizares, whose opening-round 69 gave him the lead, skied to a 75.
After hitting his second shot into the water and taking a bogey on the par-4 first hole, Smyth birdied the second and third and then holed out a short chip shot for an eagle-3 on No. 5.
On the par-5 18th, he left a 50-foot eagle putt about 20 feet short and then two-putted from there.