Montgomerie T18 with round to go in Charles

Schwab Cup Championship

Michael Allen retained lead position in the Champions Tour's season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship, with playing partner Bernhard Langer just one stroke behind.

Allen shot a one-under 69, making six birdies, three bogeys and a double bogey in breezy conditions on Desert Mountain's Cochise Course. He had a 12-under 198 total.

The 56-year-old birdied the par-3 11th to open a six-stroke lead, before playing the next four holes in 4 over. He rebounded with a birdie on the par-3 17th and parred the par-5 18th.
"I didn't really know what my lead was," Allen said. "It probably would have been a good idea to look at a board at that point, but I was just trying to do what I've been doing all week, which is just try and hit good shots, make birdies and pars. I don't think my strategy would have changed any."
Langer birdied the final two holes for a 68. The German is competing with Colin Montgomerie (currently T18) and Jeff Maggert for the Charles Schwab Cup points title and a $1m annuity.
The 58-year-old began the week third in the standings, 66 points behind Montgomerie and 27 behind Maggert, in a bid to win the title for the second straight year and record third time overall.
"Obviously, I'm in a unique situation this week where I'm sort of keeping one eye on what's happening there with Monty and Maggert and I'm trying to win the tournament at the same time," Langer said.
With players receiving a point for every $500 earned in the $2.5m tournament, Langer started $33,000 behind Montgomerie and $13,500 behind Maggert.
Allen made a double bogey on the par-4 12th after driving into the desert. He bogeyed the par-3 13th, then topped a long-iron approach into the water on the par-4 15th and holed a 10-footer to escape with bogey.
"I was a little out of sorts and probably just didn't go through the routine quite properly," Allen said. "I don't know because it was a perfect number. I guess it happens once in a while in golf."
Allen made an 18-foot birdie putt on 17, and missed a birdie chance on 18 when he pulled his 8-footer to the right.
Mark O'Meara, Stephen Ames and Billy Andrade were tied for third at 8 under. O'Meara shot 66, Ames 67, and Andrade 70. Ames was the last player to get into the field, jumping from 31st to 30th on the money list with a ninth-place tie last week at Newport Beach.

COMPLETE SCOREBOARD
 Par 210 (3x70)

1	Michael Allen	65	64	69					198
2	Bernhard Langer	63	68	68					199
T3	Billy Andrade	65	67	70					202
T3	Stephen Ames	68	67	67					202
T3	Mark O'Meara	68	68	66					202
6	Joe Durant	69	66	68					203
T7	Olin Browne	66	67	71					204
T7	Jeff Sluman	69	64	71					204
T7	Fred Couples	66	69	69					204
T7	Kirk Triplett	70	68	66					204
T11	Tom Lehman	69	65	71					205
T11	Kevin Sutherland	68	67	70					205
T11	Duffy Waldorf	68	68	69					205
T14	Kenny Perry	66	66	74					206
T14	Tom Pernice Jr.	70	68	68					206
16	Jerry Smith	74	63	70					207
17	Woody Austin	71	64	73					208
T18	Bart Bryant	68	67	74					209
T18	Colin Montgomerie	70	68	71					209
T18	Wes Short Jr.	68	72	69					209
T21	Russ Cochran	70	68	72					210
T21	Lee Janzen	72	67	71					210
T21	Jeff Maggert	72	67	71					210
24	Ian Woosnam	70	72	69					211
T25	Marco Dawson	73	66	75					214
T25	Paul Goydos	68	68	78					214
T25	David Frost	72	68	74					214
T25	Esteban Toledo	72	73	69					214
29	Scott Dunlap	71	70	74					215
30	Gene Sauers	73	72	76					221