PARKVILLE, MO. ? Rebounding from a missed 10-inch putt, Argentina’s Vicente Fernandez shot a 5-under 67 Saturday to take a two-stroke lead in the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am.

Bidding to become the first two-time winner on the Champions Tour this year, Fernandez eagled the par-5 fifth hole but lipped out a tap-in par putt about an hour later. He wound up with a two-day total of 6-under 138 on the 6,955-yard National layout.

On the short par-4 13th, dueling four others for the lead, he slid a 12-foot birdie putt about 10 inches past the cup. Then, trying to avoid stepping in the line of his playing partner’s putt, he bent over awkwardly and missed coming back.

“I didn’t pay attention,” he said. “It was a tap-in and I missed it. But I made 2-under par from there on.”

A five-time Champions Tour winner, Fernandez has never before held the lead all by himself after 36 holes. He’s also never won in the four times he’s been the co-leader after 36.

“There are just so many good players out here,” he said. “It will take another good round tomorrow.”

The cold wind and steady rain that pelted the Tom Watson-designed course in Friday’s opening round was replaced by calm, clear conditions as seven players shot 68 or better.

Two strokes back at four-under 140 were Jay Sigel and Allen Doyle, who each had 68, and Des Smyth and Mike McCullough, who matched Fernandez’s 67.

Watson, a lifelong Kansas Citian and clear crowd favorite, missed a half-dozen medium-range birdie putts and settled for a 71 that left him five strokes in back of Fernandez, the winner of the ACE Group Classic in February.

“I played very well from tee to green. But what a miserable putting day,” Watson said. “Yes, it’s disappointing not to play better in front of your hometown fans and friends. But who knows what will happen tomorrow? It’s not impossible.”

Three strokes off the pace at 141 were James Mason and Butch Sheehan. Hale Irwin, the tour’s top money winner who won last week in Austin, Texas, shot a 68 and was four strokes off the lead at 142, tied with Dave Stockton and Tom Jenkins.

NFL great Dick Butkus, left, and Vicente Fernandez talk after the second round of the Bayer Advantage Celebrity Pro-Am. The two played Saturday at The National in Parkville, Mo.

Jose Maria Canizares, whose opening-round 69 gave him the lead, skied to a 75.

After hitting his second shot into the water and taking a bogey on the par-4 first hole, Smyth birdied the second and third and then holed out a short chip shot for an eagle-3 on No. 5.

“That changed the whole complexion of the day for me,” he said.

Singh leads at Nelson

Irving, Texas — Vijay Singh made a clutch par save on the 17th hole Saturday, maintaining his lead at the Byron Nelson Championship after a round that didn’t come close to matching his spectacular play the first two days.

After a pair of 65s, Singh shot a 1-under 69 Saturday, able to stay under par even after he flew the green on the 196-yard 17th hole and his ball buried in some nasty rough. He managed to pitch to 7 feet, saved par and preserved his slim lead.

Singh was at 11-under 199, one stroke ahead of Jeff Sluman, the first-round leader who had a 68 Saturday. Cameron Beckman and Luke Donald, who had an eagle out of the bunker at the 554-yard 16th, both had 67s and were tied at 201.

Despite controversy surrounding him for comments he made last weekend about Annika Sorenstam, Singh had insisted his focus is on winning the $5.6 million Nelson.

Nick Price shot a 66 at the 7,022-yard TPC at Las Colinas, and was tied with Per-Ulrick Johansson at 8 under. David Toms, whose 65 was the best round of the day, was in a group of seven players at 7 under.

Singh first got to 11 under when he made an 8-foot birdie putt at No. 6. His only bogey came at No. 9, when he missed the fairway and then missed the green to drop back to 10 under, putting Sluman alone on top of the leaderboard.

Sluman, who started the day with three birdies in his first four holes, wasn’t alone for long. He gave back a stroke at the 11th when his drive ended up in the rough and his approach in a bunker.

Woods nine back at SAP

Alveslohe, Germany — Tiger Woods will have to top his greatest comeback to defend his title at the Deutsche Bank-SAP Open.

Woods had another poor putting day Saturday, shooting a 2-under 70. He was at 6-under 210 entering the final round, nine strokes behind leader Padraig Harrington.

Woods never has rallied from nine strokes back on the final day, and he acknowledged he didn’t have much of a chance to win the tournament for the third straight time.