SCOTTSDALE, Az. — Paul Goydos shot an 8-under 62 on Friday in windy conditions to take a three-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

Goydos, 52, holed out from 167 yards for eagle on the par-4 12th and closed with birdies on the par-3 17th and par-5 18th on Desert Mountain Club’s Cochise Course.

Colin Montgomerie, third in Charles Schwab Cup season standings, was second. The Scot birdied the final two holes.

Points leader Bernhard Langer topped the group at 67. The top five in the standings — Richmond winner Scott McCarron is second, followed by Montgomerie, Joe Durant and Miguel Angel Jimenez — can take the season title with a victory Sunday. McCarron holed out from the fairway for eagle on the par-5 15th in a 69. Durant shot 70, and Jimenez had a 74.

Tom Pernice Jr., the winner of the playoff opener two weeks ago in California, also was at 67 along with Paul Broadhurst and Duffy Waldorf. 

Most of the field struggled but, for the most part, Goydos managed to control his ball. 

“I really hit good shots, even into the wind,” he said.  “It’s hard to be perfect in tougher conditions. But then I holed out on 12.  On the fly, didn’t damage the cup, couldn’t have been more center cup.”

Goydos compared going low today to 2010, when he who shot59 at the John Deere Classic.

“I remember when I did the 59 grup and I talked to Annika (Sorenstam) about it, talked about being in the zone.  When you play good, you’re always in the present.  You’re not worried about what you’re shooting, you’re worried about the shot at hand.  You’re not worried about the green or the bunkers or whatever’s up there, you’re worried about your target and making a good swing.”

Going into day two with a three-shot lead over Colin Montgomerie, Goydos refuses to think about the possibility of winning the Charles Schwab Cup.

“The reality is you’re going to try to win the golf tournament, see how the chips lie.  If I don’t win the golf tournament, it doesn’t matter anyway.  Someone explained to me what has to happen.  It’s like Chinese arithmetic.”