Round 2 Notes: The Senior Open Championship

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BERKSHIRE, England -- Here is where the leaderboard stands after 36 holes:

1. Fred Funk/USA (-11)
2. Sam Torrance/SCO (-8)
3. Loren Roberts/USA (-6)
T4. Michael Allen/USA (-5), Tom Kite/USA (-5)

• For the second time in the last three Champions Tour events, Funk has posted a 36-hole score of 129 and he's bogey-free at Sunningdale through 36 holes of the 2009 Senior British Open Championship. At the Dick's Sporting Goods Open last month, Funk carded a two-round total of 15-under-par 129, matching the lowest 36-hole score of his Champions Tour career. He eventually finished T2 behind Lonnie Nielsen at that 54-hole event in central New York. Today marks the third time Funk has posted a 36-hole score of 129, his career best on the Champions Tour. In 2007 at the Turtle Bay Championship, Funk was 15-under 129 for two rounds and went on to win in wire-to-wire fashion in Hawaii. Funk's two-round total today is also the third 129 on the Champions Tour this year but is not the low 36 on the European Senior Tour. In January, Brad Bryant shot 64-65--129 (15-under) at the Mitsubishi Electric Championship at Hualalai but also did not go on to win. On the European Senior Tour, Torrance shot 16-under 12 over the first two rounds of the DGM Barbados Open.

• Here is Funk's career record on the Champions Tour when leading/co-leading after 36 holes:

• Funk's 36-hole score of 11-under-par 129 is a Senior British Open Championship record for low 1st 36 holes, eclipsing the mark of 134 (-10) originally established by Brian Barnes at Royal Portrush, Northern Ireland in 1995. Both Eduardo Romero and Roberts posted 10-under 130 totals for 36 holes at Turnberry Resort in 2006.

• Funk's three-stroke margin over Torrance is the largest 36-hole lead in this event since Japan's Noboru Sugai led by four strokes at Royal County Down in 2002.

• Second-round leaders have gone on to win the Senior Open Championship 13 times in the previous 22 championships, including the last three winners.

• Nine of the top 11 players on the leaderboard have won a major championship on either the PGA TOUR, Champions Tour or both.

• Scotland's Torrance, an 11-time winner on the European Senior Tour including this year's DMG Barbados Open, carded a 5-under 65 today and moved up into second place, three strokes behind Funk. Torrance is an honorary member at Sunningdale and lives near the course. Another player with an honorary membership at Sunningdale, Mark McNulty of Ireland, carded a 3-under 67 today and moved up from T22 after the first round to T6.

• Bernhard Langer, a four-time winner on the Champions Tour this year, rebounded from a 72 yesterday with a 3-under 67 today and stands T20 through two rounds of the Senior British Open Championship at Sunningdale. Langer is bidding for a third consecutive victory on the Champions Tour after winning both the Trition Financial Classic and 3M Championship in his last two appearances on the circuit.

• England's Carl Mason withdrew prior to the start of his second round due to a back injury.

• England's Roger Chapman retired after nine holes of his second round with a bad back. Chapman was 6-over for the championship at the time of his withdrawal.