Price Ahead Of The Pack

Nick Price birdied two of the final three holes Saturday to grab the lead.

BLAINE, Minn. (AP) -- Nick Price birdied the final hole Saturday as part of a 4-under 68, and has a one-shot lead after the second round of the Champions Tour's 3M Championship.

Price, who won the Outback Steakhouse Pro-Am in April, barely missed his 45-foot eagle try before tapping in and moving to 11-under 133.

Gene Jones (68) and Andy Bean (69), a co-leader with Price after round one, both parred the final hole and are tied for second. The trio will be grouped together again for Sunday's final round.

Bernhard Langer (68) is two shots back, and Scott Hoch (69) and Tom Kite (67) trail by three strokes.

Jones, who has yet to win in two years on the tour, was never in trouble as he played a bogey-free round to put him in contention at the TPC Twin Cities for the second straight year. He was second on the back nine last year before a bogey, double-bogey, par finish dropped him to fourth.

After an opening-round 73, Steve Thomas shot the day's low round, an 8-under 64 to get within four shots. It's his best score on tour this year.

Defending champion R.W. Eaks shot 71 and is eight shots back.