Not much stopping him

NEWPORT BEACH — The easygoing Fred Couples offered a simple reason to explain his early success on the Champions Tour.

As a rookie, he’s a young guy on the 50-and-older tour. But there appears to be so much more than that fact.

Couples showed it on the golf course, battling wind and cold to take a hold of the 16th annual Toshiba Classic at Newport Beach Country Club Saturday.

He entered the second round one shot behind the lead, but overcame the weather and temperatures to post a seven-under-par 64, the best of the day. He’s now the leader, in position to capture his second straight win in his third start on the tour. He’s at 12-under 130, two shots better than Tom Lehman and Chien Soon Lu. Loren Roberts and Ronnie Black are tied for fourth, four shots behind Couples, the 1992 Masters Champion.

After a 71-minute rain delay, Couples began his march to the top. His work on the front nine certainly helped.

He shot five-under 30 on the front, tying the tournament record set by Mark Johnson. The run was highlighted by an eagle on the 549-yard, par-five No. 3. He hit a two-iron to about 12 feet to get in position for the putt.

He capped the front with a birdie on No. 9 that drew excitement from the crowd.

“I got very lucky,” Couples said of hitting from the rough, through a small opening that hit a part of a branch and landed four feet from the cup.

His start on the back nine wasn’t ideal with a bogey on 10, but he birdied three of the last four holes.

“I played a great round, I really did,” said Couples, who finished with six birdies. “I hit it solid. I didn’t hit every green. But the best thing is when I had a putt to make birdie, I made most of them.”

Once again, Couples attracted a large gallery. He’ll tee off today at noon with Lehman and Lu.

Lehman, the 1996 British Open champion, said he’s looking forward to playing with Couples.

The two will most likely have plenty of eyes on them. They’re the top two in driving distance on the Champions Tour. When they’re on the PGA Tour, they’re not too shabby either.

Last week, they both finished tied for 14th at the Phoenix Open, a PGA Tour event.

But, even Lehman has been impressed with Couples’ recent superb play.

“Every time he tees it up he plays extremely well,” Lehman said of Couples. “I’m sure he will [Sunday] as well. …It’s good to see him play well. He brings a lot to this tour. He’s always been a fan favorite. He has a great way of playing golf, a real casual approach. But he is a very competitive person … It will be fun [Sunday].”

Lehman, who is in his first full year on the Champions Tour, had the second-lowest score of the day.

Still it appears as if Couples is the favorite to win here today.

He opened the year with a runner-up finish, one stroke behind Tom Watson at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship in Hawaii.

Through eight rounds, Couples is at 50-under, tops on the Champions Tour.

Couples has brought attention to the tour. And, he’s been backing it up with his play.

Now, he’s become the main attraction and the man to beat on the tour.

“I think that’s why I’m going to enjoy playing out here,” Couples said. “I feel like everyone has a time. When you’re 50 and you’re a good player, which I think I am, you should be a competitor out here.”

However, Couples is not feeling safe with a two-shot lead. Lehman and Lu are also striving to win the $255,000 check.

Lu, who was one of three first-round leaders, is trying to become the first Asian-born player to win a Champions Tour event since Japan’s Isao Aoki in 2002.