Bernhard Langer shot his age once again to put himself in position to extend his PGA Tour Champions winning streak to 18 years old.

The 67-year-old German star, with a career-best 46 victories, shot a 4-under-par 67 Saturday at Phoenix Country Club to take a one-shot lead in the season-ending Charles Cup championship Schwab. He shot his age or better 22 times during the tour.

“I have to continue to play aggressively and hit as many fairways as possible and as many greens as possible,” Langer said. “The key for me is making putts. I have to try to hit 15, 16, 17 greens in regulation if I can and make a bunch of putts.

He fought back after tearing his left Achilles tendon while playing pickleball in February.

“It would mean a lot because of what I’ve been through this year,” Langer said. “And also, I didn’t win this year. This is the first time in my career on the Champions Tour that I have not won in a season. So yes, there will be a little extra effort tomorrow.

Defending champion Steven Alker, second to Ernie Els in the season standings, finished second after a 63 – poised to overtake Els for the $1 million bonus. Els was tied for 14th after a 71.

“The goal was to defend the championship this week and, if I do that, the Schwab Cup will be a bonus,” Alker said. Alker had a string of five straight birdies, but closed with six straight pars.

PGA — Justin Lower sank an 11-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th to share the World Tech Championship lead with Nico Echavarria and Carson Young in Los Cabos, Mexico.

Lower shot a 9-under 63 in reduced wind conditions to tie his best round on the PGA Tour and join Echavarria (68) and Young (67) at 16-under 200 at Tiger Woods-designed El Cardonal in Diamante .

“There are 18 holes tomorrow on a very impactful golf course,” Lower said. “I think the wind is going to stay low again, so I have to go out and shoot probably between 5 and 9 under again. That’s just the way scores are displayed here. If the wind calms, the scores will be low.”

The 35-year-old American birdied the par-4 17th in the bogey-free round. He is trying to win for the first time on the circuit.

LPGA — A Lim Kim won the Lotte Championship for her second LPGA Tour title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory over playing partner Nataliya Guseva in Honolulu.

One shot before Guseva entered the day at Hoakalei Country Club, Kim ended a six-hole par streak with a birdie at the par-5 18th.

European — Rory McIlroy’s charge at the Abu Dhabi Championship in the United Arab Emirates faltered when he found water on his drive and made a double bogey on the final hole, leaving him five shots off the lead held by Paul Waring before the final round.

Nine shots off the lead after 36 holes, McIlroy, ranked No. 3, was just three shots behind in the third round when he holed his tee shot on the par-5 No. 18, the ball bouncing on the rocks bordering the land. fairway and ricocheting into the water.

After a fall, McIlroy then made an approach – his fourth shot – into the greenside bunker and could only make a 7, for a 3-under 69 and a 13-under total.