Bean holds advantage entering weekend at Sonoma

Nov 1, 2008 - 12:03 PM SONOMA, California (Ticker) -- Andy Bean sits atop the leaderboard entering Saturday's third round of the Charles Schwab Championship.

Bean notched seven birdies and carded a 6-under-par 66 on Friday to grab the lead after two rounds of the $2.5 million event.

Bean, whose only win this season came at the Regions Charity Classic in May, played a terrific back nine in the second round. The 55-year-old birdied five of six holes from Nos. 10-15 and is at 10-under 134 for the tournament.

Bean's only misstep came on the front nine, when he bogeyed the par-3 seventh hole.

The Schwab Cup will be decided at the end of this event but, with just 796 points, Bean has no shot at overtaking leader Jay Haas (2,556).

The winner of this event is awarded 844 points.

Bean, who began the Friday in fourth place, holds a one-stroke lead over Nick Price. Price held the first-round lead but recorded just three birdies and is at 9-under 135.

Following Price was Tom Jenkins (136), who fired eight birdies and is in a three-way tie for third.

Haas, who holds a 12-point lead over Fred Funk in the Schwab Cup standings, is among five golfers tied for ninth at 6-under par 138. Funk, who had a triple-bogey on Thursday, posted three more bogeys and is in 29th (145).

First prize is $440,000.