Lehman leads Senior PGA

FRENCH LICK, Ind. - Scores were much higher than usual over the first two rounds of the 76th Senior PGA Championship at the Pete Dye Course, but not all the Champions Tour players were suffering.

Tom Lehman, who will defend his title in July's Encompass Championship at North Shore in Glenview, claimed the 36-hole lead after posting a 5-under-par 67 on Friday. Two Chicago area players on the Champions circuit - Hinsdale's Jeff Sluman and Lake Forest's Chip Beck - made the cut in the second major championship of the year in the 50-and-older circuit.

But most of the other 153 starters were confounded by the six-year-old Dye design that is hosting the event for the first time. Lehman, though, hit the halfway point in the tournament a 4-under 140. Scotland's Colin Montgomerie, Lehman's playing partner n the first two rounds and the tourney's defending champion, is 1 stroke back.

"It's an incredibly beautiful place," said Lehman, "and an amazing location to have this tournament. What Pete Dye does, more than anything, is challenge you mentally. He forces you to be patient."

Beck learned that lesson. He soared to 9-over-par for the tournament after his first nine on Saturday but played his last nine in 4-under-par 32 that included an eagle on the last hole. That put him at 5-over 149 for the first two rounds, which was well inside the cut line. Sluman, who matched Beck's 73 on Friday, is two strokes better entering Saturday's third round.

Lehman made five of his six birdies on the back nine to offset his lone bogey at No. 14. He posted a 32 on the back side.

PGA Tour / Colonial:

FORT WORTH, Texas - Kevin Na had gone 26 holes without a bogey at Colonial before his last tee shot was swept away by flowing water after going into a rain-swollen drainage culvert.

Not even that could dampen Na's second round that gave him the lead in the soggy tournament.

Na took the penalty drop near the 17th fairway, and hit a blind approach shot over bleachers to the back side of the 18th green. His two-putt from 20 feet wrapped up a 4-under 66.

"A good bogey," Na said.

At 10-under 130, Na was 2 strokes ahead of Ian Poulter and 3 up on 2013 Colonial winner Boo Weekley. Poulter had a 67, and Weekley shot 69.

Masters champion Jordan Spieth was alone in the lead without a bogey before losing 4 strokes in a two-hole span. Spieth finished with a 73, 9 strokes worse than his opening round 64 that had him in a four-way tie on top. He dropped 7 strokes back at 3 under, in a crowded tie for 15th place. The 21-year-old Dallas player is playing consecutive weeks at home in North Texas.

BMW PGA Championship:

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Rory McIlroy missed the cut in the BMW PGA Championship, shooting a 6-over 78 at Wentworth in the European Tour's flagship event.

The top-ranked Northern Irishman finished at 5-over 149, 4 strokes outside the cut line. He won two of his previous three events, taking the Match Play Championship in San Francisco on May 3 and the PGA Tour's Wells Fargo Championship last week in North Carolina.

Italy's Francesco Molinari topped the leaderboard at 10 under after a 69. South Korea's Byeong Hun An was a stroke back after a 64.

• Follow Len on Twitter@ZiehmLen.

Associated Press contributed.