The Loop

Schwab Cup crowded near the lead

November 06, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO - There isn't much not to like about the leader board for the weekend at the Charles Schwab Cup Championship. There are 10 players within three strokes comprising the top 10 through 36 holes at TPC Harding Park.

At nine-under 133, defending champion John Cook has a one-stroke lead over Tom Kite and Tom Lehman, with Mark O'Meara, Russ Cochran and Fred Funk another shot behind. Bernhard Langer, on the cusp of sweeping Champions Tour honors for 2010, is among four players at 136.

A missing name among the top 10 is Fred Couples, but after consecutive 69s and despite a sore hip, he is T-13, five strokes (and a hot Saturday) from being right in the mix. Couples needs nothing less than a victory to pass Langer and capture the season-long Schwab points race, but if Langer finishes in a two-way tie for fourth place or better, Couples still won't catch Langer.

-- Bill Fields