CHAMPIONS

• Price joins Haas in lead at Rock Barn

  
  

  Conover, NC (Sports Network) - Nick Price posted a five-under 67 Saturday to grab a share of the lead after two rounds of the Greater Hickory Classic at Rock Barn.

  Price was joined at 11-under-par 133 by first-round leader Jay Haas, who managed a one-under 71 in the second round.

  Andy Bean and Russ Cochran both shot a four-under 68 on Saturday to move into a share of third at minus-nine. They were joined there by Gil Morgan, who carded a two-under 70 in the second round.

  Fred Funk (67) is one of nine players one stroke back at eight-under-par 136.

  Price, playing one group ahead of Haas, opened with birdies on one and four to move to eight-under. He briefly grabbed the lead with an eagle on the par-five seventh on the Jones Course at Rock Barn Golf Club and Spa.

  Haas tripped to a bogey on two but came right back with a 15-foot birdie putt on the third. He fell one back with a bogey on the sixth but atoned for that mistake with a birdie on the seventh to join Price in the lead at 10-under.

  Price fell one behind, as he posted 10 consecutive pars from the eighth. In that span, he missed several good birdie chances.

  Haas parred five in a row from the eighth before moving to 11-under with a tap-in birdie on the 12th. He parred four straight to end there.

  "I wasn't as sharp today. My irons weren't as good, and I didn't get as many good birdie opportunities (as Friday)," Haas stated.

  "I was trying to be aggressive because there are a lot of guys that could catch me." Price was the first one in the clubhouse at 11-under, as he two-putted for birdie at the last to grab a share of the lead.

  "I got off to a good start," Price stated. "I missed a short putt at No. 8 and was a little negative from there until the 12th. I couldn't make any putts. I probably left three or four out there." Price is just 1-for-6 when taking the lead into the final round of a Champions Tour event, while Haas has won five of the eight times he owned a piece of the lead entering the final round.

  Funk was joined in sixth place at minus-eight by Jeff Sluman (69), Hal Sutton (69), Bob Tway (67), Joe Ozaki (66), Mark McNulty (69), Gene Jones (68), Lonnie Nielsen (68) and David Frost (68), who is making his tour debut this week.

  Two-time defending champion R.W. Eaks slid to even-par 144 after a three-over 75 in the second round.

  09/19 19:50:39 ET