Senior PGA Championship 2007

Price shot a 2-under 70 on Friday to move within three shots of leader Eduardo Romero at the Senior PGA Championship. Romero's 70 left him at 6-under 138 while Naomichi "Joe" Ozaki (71) was two strokes behind in second.

However, with The Ocean Course living up to its windy and ferocious reputation, two-time PGA winner Price might be the best equipped of anyone for the steady, patient golf necessary to win.

"Going into the back nine on Sunday, if the conditions are the same as they are or as they have been the last two days for the weekend, it will be a question of not shooting yourself in the foot," Price said. "It will be a question of waiting and playing smart, intelligent golf."

That was Price's strength in the early 1990s when he took PGA titles in 1992 and 1994. He also won the 1994 British Open.

Price called on that trait in the second round. He opened with two birdies to move a stroke off the lead, but gave back those gains because of "miscued" tee shots and iron approaches, he said. When it looked like Price would end up five shots behind Romero, the South African star had birdies on two of three closing holes.

"You just try and just let it go and then play the next hole," Price said of the errors. "And I think that's what I really did well today."

Not just here.

Price recalled his first PGA crown at St. Louis' Bellerive Country Club 15 years ago. The course was long and difficult, he said.

"I remember saying to my caddie, Squeak (the late Jeff Medlen), when we got on the back nine on Sunday as I just said, 'If we don't make any mistakes this nine, you know, either mental or physical mistakes, I think we'll have a good chance to win."'

Price did just that, closing with a 70 for a three-shot win over four others, including Nick Faldo.

Price didn't need that patience two years later at Tulsa's Southern Hills Country Club, cruising to a six-shot PGA victory in what was then a record-269 finish.

A three-time major winner seems a good bet for the weekend, though Price isn't so sure.

"This is a whole new ball game," said Price, who turned 50 this past January. "Both Joe and Eduardo are established players. ... I think it's going to be each to his own."

Romero has certainly shown the most consistency over The Ocean Course's treacherous holes.

He had a 4-under 68 through 30 mph wind gusts to grab the lead Thursday. Romero stayed at the top by avoiding the many pitfalls others in the 50-and-over set found all too often.

"I told my caddie, 'We have to be very careful because double bogey and triple bogey are waiting for us,"' Romero said.

Instead, Romero used some big, accurate drives -- he said his tee shot went about 380 yards on the par-5 seventh -- to keep out front.

The howling Atlantic wind Romero savors wasn't nearly as bothersome Friday with gusts falling off to 10 to 15 mph -- about half their first-round strength.

"I hesitate to say it was easier than yesterday, but the wind certainly was down," said defending champion Jay Haas, five shots behind Romero.

Price hopes he can stick to his old winning, patient game plan the final two rounds.

"If you get ahead of yourself," he said, "then you're going to suffer the consequences. So that's what I'm trying to do, every hole, every shot, play it as it is and not get ahead of myself."